


A Convincing Affair

by kellbelle



Series: Alternate Thedas [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Archaeology, F/M, Fluff, Hawke is Indiana Jones obviously, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Modern Thedas, Shameless Smut, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-04-30 21:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5180546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kellbelle/pseuds/kellbelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Fenris is arrested, he is threatened with deportation back to Tevinter. His only option to obtain a visa quickly is to marry a young, college freshman Hawke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrested

“Hawke!”

She awoke abruptly to Varric shaking her frantically. She bolted upright and swung her legs over the couch before standing and towering over the dwarf.

“Maker, Varric. What's wrong?” she demanded quickly.

“Fenris was arrested outside of the Hanged Man. Border Patrol is threatening to deport him back to Tevinter!” Varric explained quickly.

Marian Hawke stood in a daze and looked carefully around her living room. The apartment she shared with her family was cramped and smelled strongly of booze and those blighted cigarettes her uncle smoked. The coach she unexpectedly fell asleep on was marked with holes and scratches her Mabari, Danny, left behind.

Fenris was not a very... kind man. He was clearly a tortured soul and openly held contempt for mages and anyone who dared support them. Obviously he was not a big fan of the Hawke family. Though Marian herself was no mage, her sister and father were. She showed no doubt of her loyalty to her family which led to many lectures from the angsty elf.

“What was he arrested for?” Marian quirked an eyebrow and placed her hand on her hip. Of course she would do anything to help him. Whether he thought so or not, she considered herself a friend of his. They were in each others' company often enough to warrant so.

“Disorderly conduct. He got drunk and started a fight with some guy in the Hanged Man. Cops found out he doesn't have a visa. He could be deported in the morning,” the dwarf supplied before crossing the living room and grabbing Hawke's black coat from the rack. He tossed it to her and opened the door, motioning for her to follow.

She slipped into her coat and quickly tied the laces on her boots before following Varric outside. They walked in companionable silence into the dingy elevator while Varric texted some people.

“I've contacted my lawyer to see what we can do. We'll be lucky if they let him out on bail.”

Marian said nothing to that as she followed Varric out into the rainy Lowtown streets of Kirkwall. It was about midnight by the time they waved down a taxi to take them to the Hightown jail.

She blew out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and placed her forehead against the window of the taxi. As Varric made friendly conversation with the Antivan taxi driver, Marian began to think of Fenris.

They had only known each other for about a year. She met him while she was at a bar with her sister, Bethany, and friends Isabela and Anders. Isabela insisted that she introduce her to the “tattooed mystery elf” balking in the corner nursing a pint of ale. Before she knew it, she was helping the elf find his former Master.

Marian took pity on Fenris. Everyone knew that even though Tevinter was a glamorous country for the wealthy, it was home to many horrors that went unchecked. Tevinter was home to the underground slave ring which captured people to sell as slaves all across Thedas. Fenris was one of those unfortunates.

_“I... would be truly grateful for your help in confronting my former Master. He has come looking for me.”_

She remembered him saying. Her mother would have scolded her for being so stupid to trust a stranger and yet she did anyway. They ended up in a fight in some classy Hightown estate owned by his Master who was not there himself. After that, they never really stopped talking to each other. Marian saw Fenris at least once a week from then on. 

“Here you are. That will be twenty silvers,” the Antivan driver said as the taxi pulled up to the prestigious Police station in Hightown. Varric thanked the driver and paid and soon the pair was hurrying up the stairs into the building as the rain began to pour.

Almost immediately, Hawke spotted Aveline pondering over some notes at the front desk. She hurried over and gave a brief smile to her friend.

“Let me guess, you're here for Fenris,” Aveline stated as they approached, shivering from the cold. Marian and Varric shrugged sheepishly. The captain of the police force sighed. 

“Hawke, I doubt there is much we can do about this. I did tell him to lay low as long as he remained in Kirkwall without a visa but he didn't listen. Border Patrol wants to send him back to Tevinter in a few hours,” Aveline explained with a frown.

“Surely, I can pay his bail for now and have my lawyer figure this out,” Varric suggested, already reaching for his wallet stuffed in his coat. Her frown deepened.

“I suppose but only for tonight. There isn't much I can do if there is a case against him.”

Marian followed Aveline to the cells while Varric settled Fenris's bail with another officer at the front desk.

The bars came into view and soon she was looking at the elf himself seated on a metal stool with his head in his hands. There was dried blood matted in his white hair and his gray hoodie was ripped. His converse shoes and the bottom of his straight leg blue jeans were caked in mud. When he heard Aveline unlock the cell, he lifted his head and immediately his gaze fell on Marian.

_Oh Maker..._

Normally, Marian would not go out of her way to befriend or help such an asshole. Yet she would be lying to herself if she denied having no feelings for the elf. He was beautiful. There was a reason Isabela insisted on the two meeting. Fenris was a truly gorgeous man and he  _knew_ it. 

She gulped and felt a small smile tug at her lips as his large green eyes peered at her and then shied away, almost as if he were ashamed.

“Fenris... stay out of trouble. I cannot help you further,” Aveline warned as he stood and exited the cell. Fenris and Hawke fell in step with each other as they left the jail and entered the front room with Varric again.

“Here are your keys, wallet and phone,” one of the officers handed Fenris his things and waved them away.

The elf continued to say nothing as the three left the police station.

“Look Broody,” Varric began, “I'll meet you in the morning and we'll consult my lawyer. We'll find a way out of this.”

Fenris nodded at the dwarf who gave him a warm smile and a pat on the shoulder before walking away. Hawke awkwardly nudged her foot against a puddle before Fenris cleared his throat.

“Why are you here?” he asked seriously. She glanced at the elf who was studying her curiously.

“Varric thought it best I come just in case you were deported immediately. I'll help you in any way I can, Fenris,” she promised sincerely. Despite the dim lighting under the street lamp and the rain she thought she saw a blush form on his cheeks.

“Thank you, Hawke. Would you like me to take you home?” Fenris asked politely.

“That wont be necessary. I have to get up early for my classes tomorrow but let me know how it goes, okay?”

“I will,” he promised. The two departed then as Fenris stalked off towards his stolen apartment and she waved down another taxi to take her back to Lowtown.

 

Varric had called him at an ungodly hour and insisted he dress in his most professional attire. He showered and dressed quickly in a borrowed navy business suit and tried his best to remain as stoic as ever as the dwarf dragged him to _Tethras and Sons Practice_.

“It's my father's family business, if anyone can get you out of this it's our attorneys,” Varric insisted proudly.

Yet when they were finally seated in front of a dwarven Mr. Erikson, the news was not looking so great.

“You see Fenris I'm afraid you cannot just stay here as a refugee when technically there is no political war waging in Tevinter. To obtain a visa you need a purpose and the only possible solution there may be is marriage. You cannot stay here on a work visa if a company is unwilling to sponsor you. A student visa is also unlikely to work since you have received no previous education to transfer any records. A marriage visa is the most viable option if anyone were willing to marry you on such short notice,” the lawyer was explaining with a serious frown on his lips. Fenris clenched his fists under the desk while Varric gave him a look.

“Okay, done. We'll find him a bride but is it certain to keep him here? Won't they know it is fraud?” Varric responded quickly before Fenris could object.

“He would have to prove to any authorities that the marriage was legitimate. It could be a possibly lengthy process. None of what I am suggesting is exactly legal but it's all I can offer you, Messere,” Mr. Erikson answered with a shrug to his shoulders. He reclined in his chair and glanced at the desktop before him.

“Thank you, Erikson. We will take care of it,” Varric promised before yanking the elf up out of the office chair and leading him back out into the bustling Hightown business district.

“ _Dwarf_ ,” Fenris spat exasperatedly. “Who on Thedas am I supposed to marry? I have no lover, you know this.”

“Hawke will do it,” Varric suggested immediately. The elf visibly stiffened and balked at the blonde dwarf.

“Hawke... you want me to marry Hawke to stay in the Free Marches,” Fenris stated in disbelief.

“Fenris you don't exactly have many friends. Isabela would never be willing to marry again. Merrill would probably do it but you'd be miserable pretending to be in love with her. Her sister, Bethany, is still in high school and Hawke is now an adult and a freshman in college. Besides everyone knows you and Hawke already make googly eyes at each other so she is the only option,” he explained to the shocked elf.

“No,” Fenris crossed his arms against his chest and looked at his surroundings in a daze.

Kirkwall was one of the most populous cities in Thedas. The streets were always filled with cars and taxis. Crowds of people were walking along the sidewalk carrying cups of coffee and dressed in fine business attire. Small shops and large high-end franchises lined the streets and advertisements hung above everyone's heads.

“You don't have a choice. If you are shipped back to Tevinter, you will not be protected from Danarius,” Varric said bluntly. Fenris scowled and the dwarf let out a chuckle.

“Come on, elf. We have to run this by Hawke,” Varric waved down a taxi and the two set off to Kirkwall College.  

 


	2. Married

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fenris proposes and they get married like right away.

Marian had just finished her Biological Anthropology midterm exam when she felt her phone buzz in her backpack lying next to her leg. She quickly pulled out her android and saw a text from Varric.

_\- Hawke I can see you. 12:04 PM_

Hawke immediately sat upright and looked to her side out the window. Standing there with a brilliant grin was Varric holding his phone and a very grumpy Fenris in a flattering business suit. The dwarf motioned for her to come outside.

_\- I'm in the middle of an important lecture. 12:04 PM_

She saw Varric frown and Fenris scowl.

“Miss Hawke, is there something interesting outside?” Professor Solas demanded with a huff. She felt her cheeks grow red as she quickly turned to face her professor.

“No, but I'm afraid something has come up,” she apologized and clumsily reached for her backpack before hurrying out of the classroom. As soon as the door had closed behind her she glared at Fenris and Varric.

“This better be important,” Hawke practically growled to the pair. She felt Fenris's intense gaze on her and noticed his anxious expression. “Is something wrong?”

“You better talk to Fenris, I'll catch up with you,” Varric said with a wink to the elf before walking out of sight. Marian shifted on her feet, looking nervously down at her flats.

“Let's talk about this over lunch if this is so important that I must leave my class,” Marian suggested with a smirk.

“Alright,” he agreed instantly.

The silence stretched on as Fenris and Hawke walked into a nearby cafe five minutes away from the campus. They took their seats outside beneath an umbrella before Fenris spoke.

“Um, I'll go order our food. What do you want?” he offered before bolting out of his chair.

“It's okay, I have money-”

“No, I got it.”

“Alright, I'll have a chicken sandwich and iced tea please,” Hawke began and then furrowed her eyebrows in concern. “Fenris are you okay?”

His eyes shot from the floor to look back at her and he shifted.

“I'm fine, I'll be back soon,” he insisted before he went back inside.

Hawke sighed heavily and leaned back in her seat. It was a surprisingly beautiful day in Kirkwall. The usual layer of smog still covered the city from above while the sun beamed through it. The city was alive with activity, the parks filled and the streets lined with pedestrians. A nearby street musician was tuning his violin while a group of onlookers waited in anticipation for him to begin. She was grateful that she wore a knee-length, burgundy dress for the unusually warm Autumn day. By the time Fenris came back with a tray of food, a breeze had finally cooled the air, lifting Hawke's long, brown hair with it.

“Yay food,” Hawke said with a casual smirk as she eagerly reached for her sandwich. She sat back in her chair as she chewed on her thick sandwich. Fenris still looked incredibly uneasy.

“Are you ever going to tell me what's wrong? Did the lawyer say you would be deported no matter what?” she leaned forward and nudged her sandwich towards him, “Here try it.”

“Maker, I don't know how to ask this of you,” Fenris began while pushing her sandwich out of his face. He ran a hand through his disorderly white locks.

“I said I'd help in any way that I could,” she said with a smile. “Let me help.”

He sighed heavily and took a quick sip from a bottle of water. He was nervously bouncing one of his knees and holding his hands in his lap.

“There is only one real solution to keep me from being deported back to Tevinter. I need to get married,” Fenris spoke quickly as Hawke took a sip of her iced tea. Immediately, Hawke began to cough and choke on her tea as she frantically began to wipe at her mouth and chin with a napkin.

“Y-you need to get married?” she asked between coughs.

“Yes and I was hoping you would marry me,” he answered seriously. Her large, brown eyes widened in shock and her back straightened.

“Wait, you want me to marry you?” she asked incredulously.

“Well, I mean I don't really have any other options. I know it is a lot to ask of you, believe me, I don't want to drag you into this. I just... I can't go back to-to _him,_ ” he sputtered out.

“Fenris,” Hawke reached her hand out to grasp his gently. His already wildly beating heart jumped at the touch and he dared to look at her. She shivered despite the lack of cold and her eyes were filled with understanding and worry.

“I'll do this for you. I won't let you go back to him. I promise,” Hawke said confidently with a slight nervous tremble to her voice. She felt his hand squeeze her's lightly before pulling back.

“Thank you Hawke,” his voice was low and sincere as he thanked her. She just smiled and nodded before turning back to her sandwich.

“Seriously dude, you need to try this sandwich. Is it the tomato? I know a lot of people don't usually like tomato on their sandwiches but those people are weaklings,” she declared before biting hungrily back into her chicken sandwich. The elf let out a relieved chuckle and picked up the other half of her sandwich gratefully.

 

“This is madness! I will not allow it!” Leandra Hawke cried out in exasperation. Bethany was standing nervously by her sister while their uncle ignored them completely while flicking through the channels on the TV.

“Mother, Fenris is my friend and you know we cannot let him go back to Tevinter,” Marian tried defending herself while Leandra had a panic attack.

“When I said I wanted you to find a nice man, I was NOT talking about jumping into a loveless marriage with an escaped Elven slave with a serious anger problem!” she continued ranting. “I was thinking of a nice, _human_ man. Maybe a noble or doctor.”

Marian sighed heavily before there was a light knock on the door. Bethany hurried over and opened the door to the apartment to find none other than Fenris himself standing there uncomfortably. He had since changed from his borrowed suit in exchange for his usual dark jeans, white t-shirt and black jacket.

“You,” Leandra huffed as she whirled around to face the elf. Fenris stood agape, like a deer in the headlights, as Hawke's mother unleashed her wrath.

“Um... yes.”

“Is there no one else? Why does it have to be _my_ Marian? I wanted her to settle down with a nice man, not like this!” she pointed a finger at him as she stalked towards him. Hawke quickly rushed forward to stand between the unsuspecting elf and her fuming mother.

“Mother, don't do this-”

“No, Hawke your mother is right. I am sorry to ask this of you. I know how much I ask of you and yet I have no other choice. All I can promise is that I will make this as easy as possible for all of us. After I am granted permission after an adequate amount of time we can always divorce and you can find happiness,” Fenris was speaking primarily to Leandra calmly and seriously. She visibly relaxed her shoulders but then began to cry and ran off into her room.

Hawke looked apologetically at Fenris while Bethany took her sister's hand.

“Can I be there? We can get you a nice little dress for the occasion and throw a party. You'll need to act the part so there might as well be a celebration,” her sister suggested enthusiastically which caused a smile to break across Hawke's face.

“Sure, Bethy. We don't have much time though, I think we need to do this like tomorrow,” Marian stated.

“Come on, Hawke. We'll go to the Hanged Man and tell the others. We don't have much time until tomorrow when the deed is done,” Fenris motioned back towards the door and she hurriedly followed.

They walked in silence as they left the run-down apartment building and headed towards their friends' favorite bar. Though it was a Thursday, the nightlife was still busy as the city lit up the sky. There was thumping music from each corner and drunken groups of people stumbling out of bars and nightclubs.

When they reached the Hanged Man, their friends were already waiting for them in a booth near the back of the room. Anders, Merrill, Isabela, Varric and even Aveline were there playing a game of Wicked Grace and drinking a round of beer. When they approached, Anders beamed at Hawke and scooted aside for her to sit by him.

“Hawke, Varric says you and Fenris have an announcement,” Merrill greeted them eagerly, practically writhing in anticipation. Her short black hair was pushed back with a green bow in her hair and she had some dirt on her chin.

“Um,” Marian began to say before Fenris chimed in.

“We're getting married.”

There were audible gasps and a beer spilled onto the table.

“What the fuck?!” Anders declared, astonished.

“When did you guys get together?” Isabela demanded.

“We're not together,” Hawke said quietly.

“Then why are you getting married if you don't love each other?” Merrill asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“I am marrying Hawke to stay in the Free Marches. Otherwise I will be deported back to Tevinter,” Fenris explained.

“So you're using Hawke?” Anders asked angrily as his fist slammed into the table.

“No! I would not use Hawke!”

“Well that's what this is! She will never be happy with you,” Anders spat defiantly.

“Oh and she would be happy with you? An apostate _abomination_?!” Fenris stood and growled through clenched teeth, almost like a wolf.

“Boys, maybe you should kiss each other and ease that tension,” Isabela suggested with a devilish smirk as she leaned back against the seat and sipped her beer.

“Excuse me,” Anders muttered to Hawke. She moved up out of the seat quickly so Anders could slip out and hurry away from the loud, crowded bar. She sighed heavily and plopped back onto the bench, dejected.

“I need a drink,” she declared. Varric silently slid over an extra glass of beer and she took it gratefully.

“That boy has such a ridiculous crush on you. I think you just ruined his dreams,” Isabela noted, the smirk never leaving her face.

“So when are you getting married? I so love weddings,” Merrill said dreamily. Fenris rolled his eyes and slipped into the bench beside Hawke.

“Tomorrow at the clerk's office. It has to be done as soon as possible to apply for permanent residency,” Fenris supplied before he grabbed an extra glass of beer and chugged.

“Hawke, are you sure about this? You realize how dangerous this is for both of you? You could both be arrested for fraud if it is discovered that this isn't an act of passion,” Aveline asked with concern from across the table. She still wore her police uniform but her hat was on the table and her firearm was nowhere in sight.

“It will be okay, Aveline. I can be convincing,” she tried to sound lighthearted but the thought had not occurred to her how dangerous this could be for her too. She took another small sip from her drink and looked off to the side.

“Well I wouldn't miss this for anything,” Isabela exclaimed excitedly, throwing an arm around Merrill's shoulder.

“Yes we could celebrate after!” Merrill said happily looking to Varric.

“Yes, a nice wedding reception in the Hanged Man. I see no problem with it,” Varric chuckled.  

 

Morning came faster than Marian could have possibly anticipated. She was grateful she had no classes until the next week and shrugged out of bed nervously.

_I am getting married today. It's not real... But it is._

“Ugh,” she moaned and plopped back against her pillow. She had barely spoken to Fenris about what exactly they were doing and what their plan was.

This was the worst wedding day ever. Sure, he was attractive beyond belief but he had no feelings for her. There was no love, no passion. They were just friends and she was doing him a favor. They would be nothing more than roommates really.

She took a longer shower than was probably necessary and as soon as she stepped out, her sister and mother were already fussing about her appearance. As Hawke stood there in a towel, her mother began to pull at her hair with a brush and blow-dryer while her sister frantically went through Hawke's closet.

“Ah, this is perfect for a courthouse wedding!” Bethany exclaimed as she dug something out of the closet. It was a knee-length, long-sleeve and lace white dress. It was form-fitting and went well with the white flats Hawke usually wore. She shooed away her family and dressed herself quickly, knowing Varric would soon be blowing up her phone to meet them in Hightown market. Marian made sure to wear slightly formal makeup, accentuating her brown eyes and a flattering nude pink lip color.

Soon she, Bethany and Leandra were piling into a taxi and heading for Hightown.

“It is not too late to back out Marian,” Leandra spoke seriously, taking her daughter's hand. “You are so young... barely nineteen.”

“I am doing this for a friend, Mother. You know I can do this,” Hawke assured her, despite the large lump forming in her throat. She felt her palms go clammy and her stomach flip. This was not at all how she imagined getting married.

Hawke spotted her friends immediately as they stepped out of the taxi. Varric was adjusting the tie on Fenris's navy suit while Isabela tried to convince Aveline to take selfies with her in front one of the infamous Kirkwall statues. Merrill was the first to notice them and ran directly into Hawke's arms while wielding a bouquet of roses and lilies.

“Hawke, you look so lovely!” Merrill squeezed her friend and beamed at her. Marian couldn't help but smile and chuckle at her friend.

“Thank you, Merrill. Are those for me?” she asked, pointed to the bouquet.

“Yes, of course. I figured since I am a florist the least I could do was supply you with a bouquet,” Merrill eagerly passed the bouquet to her friend and stepped back happily.

“They are perfect. Thank you,” she smiled once more to Merrill before turning back to her friends. When her eyes fell on Fenris, she felt the heat rise to her cheeks instantly. His eyes were already on her, his mouth agape and a bewildered expression on his face.

“Aw, look at the blushing bride,” Isabela sauntered forward and pinched Hawke's cheek affectionately.

“You look stunning, Hawke,” Varric said with a proud smile on his face.

“Yes... you are beautiful,” she heard Fenris murmur. A small smile escaped and she nervously tugged at the blue ribbon on the bouquet of flowers.

“Let's do this, I suppose,” Marian finally said with a smile. The group simultaneously agreed and they all began to walk off towards the courthouse.

She felt her mother's worried gaze and Fenris's intense one and soon fell in step with the latter. They walked so close that their hands barely touched. She couldn't help the flutter in her heart at the contact.

“Hawke, you don't have to do this. I don't want to ruin your life,” Fenris spoke quietly for only her to hear.

“No, I will not let them take you back,” she answered defiantly, looking up to him quickly. A smile tugged at his usually stoic face and she blushed.

Surprisingly, the office was relatively empty as the large group entered and stood in line. Leandra hurried forward and tugged out Marian's birth certificate demanding to know how long the party would have to wait.

To everyone's surprise, Anders burst into the building and frantically looked about for Marian. As soon as he spotted her, he ran forward and parted through the crowd.

“Marian!” he called eagerly. Her heart stopped as he approached and tugged at her arm. “Don't do this, please. I love you.”

“Well shit,” Varric muttered. He pulled Marian closer and leaned forward, his lips inching forward rapidly before a thought could even occur.

“Anders,” she gasped and placed a hand on his chest to keep him back. “I-I have to do this for a friend and you know why.”

“Marry me instead! Why do you care if he gets deported?” Anders insisted, trying to pull her into his embrace while she tried to wriggle out of it.

“I can't do that. Fenris is my friend and it is dangerous for him to be deported,” she explained quietly and insistently. That was when Fenris darted forward and yanked the mage away from Marian, knocking him backwards.

“Get your hands off of _my bride_ ,” the elf growled low and dangerous.

“Alright, let's go Blondie. She's taken for now, let it go,” Varric mediated quickly, tugging the defeated mage back up and urging him out of the courthouse.

Marian felt the lump in her throat once more and furiously turned away from her friends. The tension was so thick in the air that you could cut a sword through it. She felt her mother's hand gently run through her long, dark hair.

“Next,” the clerk called. Fenris and Marian jerked back to attention and hurried forward to the desk.

“Hello, we would like to, um, get married today. We have our birth certificates and want to purchase the marriage license please,” Marian said more confidently than she felt. It was now time for the act to begin.

“Yes, Miss. I can take care of that right now. Are you religious?” the clerk asked.

“No.”

“Yes,” her mother called from the side.

The clerk raised an eyebrow and said, “alright, so this will be officiated by a government official.”

Her heart was racing as the clerk casually went through some documents and took the money. The “ceremony” had now begun. There weren't even any questions about the marriage itself.

She felt Fenris stiffen beside her and looked at him finally. He looked handsome in his blue suit that looked flattering on his elven figure. His hair was brushed out of his dazzling, green eyes and he looked stunning himself. Boldly, she softly placed her hand in his and he looked at her with surprise evident on his face. As the clerk spoke the words, he held her hand with a small reassuring smile. When it came time to sign the marriage license he looked a bit lost and did so sloppily but Marian could hardly care.

“-I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” the officiant said cheerfully and with a smile.

_Maker, it's over._

She turned to face the elf in a daze while his emerald eyes poured into hers. His hand reached out to cup her cheek and he began to lean forward. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart stopped beating as the beautiful man leaned into her and claimed her lips with his own. Her eyes shut automatically and her heart soared as she returned the chaste kiss and leaned into his palm. When the pair pulled away, their eyes locked and in a trance, their friends clapped and cheered.  


	3. Feds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter but soon more to come!

Later that evening, the entire bar was informed of the wedding and people were buying the bride and groom drinks left and right. The music was especially loud and annoying that night as their friends danced and celebrated.

Leandra sulked in a corner, downing a glass of wine with Bethany while Merrill sang karaoke from the top of the bar with Isabela. Marian was left sitting by herself and twirling a rose from her bouquet wondering when the festivities would be over.

As soon as the marriage license was signed, Fenris applied for permanent residency with the Free Marches Immigration Bureau. They carefully avoided each other for the remainder of the evening while their friends celebrated their “marriage” until he approached her near the end of the night.

“Hawke,” he greeted, taking a seat on the bar stool next to hers. “Are you prepared to retire for the rest of the evening?”

“Yeah, I'm about ready to go home. I have some homework I should probably finish in the morning anyway,” she agreed with a yawn. The elf anxiously scratched at the bar with his nail and looked back at her.

“Will you not be joining me in my place?” he inquired.

Marian's brows shot up in surprise and she sat upright abruptly.

“I uh, hadn't thought of that. I mean I know we'll probably have to live together but I don't exactly have my things. I mean, are you really going to be investigated tonight?” she babbled nervously all the while her heart was beating frantically.

“I suppose not. Tomorrow you should probably move your things into the estate with me and we will figure it out then. No doubt, there will be agents knocking on my door soon enough.”

“Alright well, goodnight Fenris,” she said with a polite smile, all the while twirling the single rose in her fingers.

“Goodnight Hawke.”

She quickly escaped through the crowd and ducked out of the bar with her sister and mother in tow. Her mother blabbered on about how grown up Marian was and how Bethany better have an extravagant wedding to make up for this as they walked back to the Lowtown apartment complex.

When they arrived, Marian quickly shrugged out of her dress and readied for bed. She entered the room she shared with her sister and threw herself under the covers of her own bed all the while wondering how the hell she ended up in this situation.

_If this were a normal marriage, I would be spending the night with my husband._

Her thoughts were filled with fantasies of how she really wanted her wedding day to go. She wanted to wear a bridal gown and have a venue. Hawke was sorry that there was no reception or real celebration. Mostly, she was sad for marrying without being in love.

Frantic buzzing from the nightstand woke her instantly from a restless sleep. Sunlight had just barely begun lighting the room as she scrambled for her phone. She had five missed texts from Fenris.

_\- Hawke get over here now. Agents are here. 8:06 AM_

_\- I told them you just left to finish packing your things to move in. 8:10 AM_

_\- Hawke wake up 8:13 AM_

_-_ _HAWKE, they think you didn't spend the night. 8:15 AM_

_\- They want to send me back! 8:16 AM_

Marian threw herself out of bed and yanked her phone with her into the bathroom as she jumped in the shower.

_\- I'm coming. 8:18 AM_

She hurriedly scrubbed her body and hair before practically jumping into a nearby pair of jeans and a dark green sweater. Hawke pulled her sopping wet hair back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck and dove into her room to grab a backpack and furiously toss in some clothes and toiletries. As soon as she grabbed her wallet, she shoved her boots on and was out the door in less than five minutes and waving down a taxi.

“Hightown. West Garden district please,” she sputtered out to the taxi driver who wordlessly began driving.  

_\- Shit they're going to arrest me. Call Varric 8:25 AM_

She cursed and furiously pressed the call button on her phone to talk to him. The phone rang approximately three times before a breathless Fenris answered.

“Fenris, love! Good morning, Sweetie!” she chirped loudly into the phone. The taxi driver quirked a brow in the rear view mirror but she ignored him.

“Um yes, hello love. Where are you now?” he stuttered over the term of endearment.

“Just in the taxi heading to the estate. Would you like me to bring some coffee?” she suggested quickly.

“That won't be necessary-” _cough_ , “Darling. Just come straight here, these agents want to ask you some questions.”

“Alright, I will see you soon! Bye honey!” she cheerily said before ending the call. She felt her pulse beating at an unnatural rate as the taxi pulled up to the West Garden District apartment complex.

“Thanks,” Hawke handed over a wad of cash and scrambled out of the taxi. She bolted into the building and ran straight for the stairs all while ignoring the curious pedestrians staring. She cursed herself for taking the stairs all the way up ten levels before she finally reached the door to his apartment and opened it, breathless.

Two Immigration agents stood threateningly close to Fenris, dressed in black suits with a badge on the lapel. Marian gulped and forced a bright smile onto her face as she approached the nervous elf and let her backpack fall to the ground.

She gave him a pleading look before throwing her arms around him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Fenris! I couldn't be away from you for too long, as I promised. I wasn't able to bring many things but my family will help move in the rest of my stuff tonight,” Marian chatted nonchalantly, while Fenris placed his arm around her waist. They both looked up to the agents innocently.

“You must be Marian. Mrs...” one of the agents began to speak.

“Mrs. Hawke. Fenris has decided to take my last name. It says so on the marriage license,” she supplied with a grand smile. She felt how stiff Fenris was against her and leaned into him.

“Alright, Mrs. Hawke. We have reason to believe this marriage is fraudulent seeing how Fenris was only arrested two days ago and this marriage took place yesterday,” the other agent said authoritatively.

“Why, that's silly. Fenris and I have been together for months! We knew we were going to marry each other anyway and figured we might as well get it over with,” Marian spoke confidently, trying to relax next to Fenris beside her.

“When and how did you two first meet?” the calmer agent of the two asked.

“Last December at a bar,” Fenris answered honestly.

“And when did you begin a romantic relationship?”

“This past February. I asked her on a date to the theater,” he responded automatically, his face giving away nothing despite his clenched grip against her waist.

“And what made you decide to marry after only eight months together?” the stern agent asked with a raised brow. Before Marian could supply a response Fenris stammered:

“She's pregnant!”

Time froze as Hawke began to laugh nervously.

“Ha, love! Um, why we said we wouldn't tell anybody yet, it's WAY too soon!” she cried and blabbered. Fenris gave her a confused look and she shot silent daggers at him.

“Have you been to a doctor?” the older and calm agent, a Mr. Wright, asked seriously.

“N-no not yet. Uh, it's too soon. We just found out recently,” she stammered, desperately trying to keep her voice from quivering. 

“Well if this is true, we will need to see proof of a doctor's visit soon. For now, we will leave but will visit again by the end of the week. Good day Mr. and Mrs. Hawke,” Mr. Wright said while scribbling something onto a notepad. They smiled and ducked out of the apartment respectfully while Hawke remained frozen. As soon as the door shut, she bolted out of his grasp.

“ _Fenris_!” she roared as soon as the footsteps disappeared down the hallway. He raised his arms in surrender and stepped back.

“I-I didn't know what to say. I am sorry,” he tried to explain while nervously running a hand through his white hair.

“How am I supposed to go to a doctor and have them supply proof how NOT pregnant I am. We have NEVER even kissed each other before yesterday and I can't very well get pregnant by the end of the week, can I?!” she began, her feet absently pacing around the filthy apartment as the elf watched.

“Besides, I can't do that. I don't even know if I want a baby, especially at nineteen! I'm in college, I'm far too young for any of this. Marriage is one thing but THIS?” Marian crashed into a couch and let her head fall into her hands. Frustrated tears began to streak down her cheeks as a sob wracked through her body.

“Hawke, we can talk to Anders. He's a doctor, he can write a note saying there was a complication or something. I... never should have gotten you into this,” Fenris said sadly, his voice defeated as he crouched on his knees before her. She raised her tear-streaked face to look at him.

“He hates me right now, what makes you think he will help us?” she whimpered helplessly.

“We both know he'd do anything for you Hawke. I'll bribe him if I have to. We will find a way to fix this together. In the meantime let's finish getting you settled in here, okay?” Fenris suggested with a faint smile on his face. Hawke wiped the tears away with the back of her hand while avoiding his gaze in embarrassment. She nodded. 

 

“I cannot even believe I am listening to this right now,” Anders fumed, his fists clenched against his sides. He wore his scruffy blonde hair tied back and his usual lab coat while pacing furiously in the exam room.

“Anders, I know this is a lot to ask of you-”

“Hawke, you want me to lie to a federal agent!” he interrupted, his hands flying out in a dramatic motion.

She was sitting on the examination table with her feet swinging over the side. The first thing Fenris and her decided to do was hurry into Darktown to visit the free clinic that Anders ran. Now, he was outside waiting nervously for her in the lobby.

“I don't know what to do! Fenris just blurted it out and not only will he be arrested and deported, I could be thrown in jail now too,” she cried exasperatedly. The mage stopped his abrupt pacing and turned to Hawke with a look of concern rooted in his warm, amber eyes.

“No... I can't let that happen despite how much I hate Fenris. I'll do this for you, but only for you Marian. I still can't believe you did this in the first place. It blindsided me...” Anders began, plopping into the stool and scooting towards the desktop in the room.

“Anders I did not expect any of this either, I am just as confused about this as you are. I have to pretend to be in a happy and loving relationship with a man who despises people I love just because of the way they were born,” Marian said with a sigh.

“Why did you do this to yourself? How could you tie yourself to such a hateful man?” he asked while typing away on his keyboard.

“I did this because if Fenris was sent back to Tevinter, he would basically be thrown back into slavery. We both know I could never let that happen. Tevinter is not safe for elves.”

“I'm aware. I just hate that you're sacrificing your happiness for this.”

They remained silent as Anders finished writing a note and printed it out for her. She thanked him with a small smile and a hug before leaving the exam room and entering the lobby.

To her astonishment, Fenris was sitting on the floor and playing with toy cars with a young boy. He allowed the child to run the car along his white tattoos on his arm. When he noticed Hawke enter, his cheeks burned delightfully as a beaming smile fell on Hawke's lips.

“Hawke,” he greeted before awkwardly clearing his throat and standing.

“Fenris,” she said with a smirk. They couldn't help but laugh as they left the clinic.


	4. Moving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fenris and Hawke spend their first day together as a "married" couple.

“Everything should be fine now,” Hawke said aloud to herself as she carried the rest of her belongings into the modern elevator leading to the luxurious apartment Fenris inhabited. As the elevator went up, she looked outside the glass windows surrounding the elevator overlooking the large city.

The sun was now disappearing behind the mountains of Sundermount in the distance. The skyscrapers that marked Hightown carefully hid a significant view of the city but from below Hawke could make out the tiny figures of people walking around the busy streets.

The elevator dinged and opened quickly before Hawke put her guitar case back over her shoulder and wheeled out the large suitcase carrying pretty much all of her belongings. She did not have much to pack. After moving to Kirkwall only a year and a half ago, her family left a lot of their belongings behind in Ferelden before they escaped as refugees.

She approached the apartment and Fenris quickly opened it as if he were waiting to hear her footsteps on the other side. Wordlessly, he tugged the suitcase out of her hands and helped her haul it into the studio.

“This is all of it?” he wondered aloud. She frowned.

“Well yes. I left a lot of my belongings behind before I escaped Ferelden,” she explained casually. She noticed a slight blush on his cheeks before he looked away. Hawke could not help but note just how often the elf was flustered.

He unceremoniously dropped the suitcase in the middle of the living room and spread his arms wide.

“Welcome to my humble abode. I really cleaned the place up for you, I even got rid of those human ashes,” Fenris said, voice thick with sarcasm.

“Aren't I a lucky lady?” she mused dreamily while holding her hands over her heart and batting her eyelashes dramatically. “Seriously this is quite the step up from sharing a tiny place in Lowtown with my shady uncle,” she added with a smile.

“Well I'm glad you like it. There isn't really a guest bedroom so I can take the couch and you can have the bed. It's the least I can offer,” he began as he motioned for her to follow.

“Don't be silly, I'll take the couch. I'm technically the guest.”

“Hawke, come on-”

“Something, something 'don't piss me off or I'll make you sleep on the couch',” Hawke joked while Fenris rolled his eyes.

“Well it wouldn't be right to make my newly wed _wife_ do that,” he argued.

Soon Marian had seen the pitifully empty kitchen and was now being taken to the spare room converted into a music studio.

“ _Dude_ , look at that!” Hawke beamed as she ran towards the dusty grand piano sitting in the middle of the dim room. She unceremoniously plopped herself on the bench and struck an off-key chord before grimacing. “When was the last time this thing was tuned?”

“I have no way of knowing that,” he answered monotonously. He watched her black brows furrow in concentration as she began to play a melody from memory. Though the notes sounded slightly flat, it sounded... beautiful. As he walked around the piano he saw her slender, milky fingers dance across the keys. He watched her dark hair fall over her shoulder as she moved and the way her cheeks burned pink when she noticed him staring.

To call Hawke his wife was baffling. Everything had happened so fast that he could barely stop to think about what they had done. He had spent many days admiring her from afar as she dragged him to the Hanged Man or on strange outings to find trinkets for random people. Hawke had the ability to make anyone fall in love with her. It was obvious in the way Isabela constantly pined for her attention or the way Merrill blushed whenever Hawke looked in her direction. Even Varric was not unaffected by her presence despite his claims about his heart belonging to Bianca.

At first Fenris didn't realize his feelings for her. He wondered why Anders had angered him so much just by speaking to Hawke and brushed it off as being cautious of mages. She was on his mind almost constantly as he wondered when she would next show up on his doorstep or text him to meet her somewhere.

Now Hawke was his wife but... she wasn't really. They had a friendly relationship and nothing more. She was doing him a favor so he wouldn't be thrown back to Danarius. Yet he remembered just the day before when they married and he kissed her. The way her pupils were blown wide as she stared at him and the way she melted into him were things he could never forget. Despite everything _that_ was real. The way she responded proved it had to be.

The sound of the last note ringing tugged his attention back to Hawke as she cleared her throat nervously and stood up from the bench. She brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her tiny, human ear and he strangely found it endearing.

“You play beautifully,” he remarked, the pink in her cheeks transforming to red in response. Her large eyes widened and looked to the side at the empty walls around them.

“Fenris, I must confess that your lack of décor and food is most disturbing. Let's go grocery shopping!” she changed the subject, a poor attempt to hide her apparent embarrassment quickly and began to walk out of the music studio.

 

Fenris did not think of himself as a particularly domestic man. He made it a point to not tie himself down to a place and now... He was a married man.

The marriage might not be legitimate but as he watched his sort-of wife rush around the kitchen slicing vegetables, simmering a sauce and basting chicken in the oven he never once used he could not help but think that this was it. It was all over. It wasn't real but it might as well have been. He was married and would forever be tied to Kirkwall as long as she was here.

Ignoring the wave of nausea and regret, he popped open a bottle of wine they picked out together at the grocery store and began to drink directly from it.

“Hey, stop that. We're supposed to have that with dinner,” she scolded while pointing a wooden spoon at him. He defiantly looked into her large, brown eyes and took a large gulp even as she scowled and turned back to the stove top. “You know, instead of getting drunk you could be helping me.”

“I did say we could get Antivan takeout but you insisted on doing this,” he reminded her with a wry smirk before setting the wine bottle down and striding over to help.

“Unlike some people around here, I can't live off of wine and packets of ketchup. Better get used to eating home cooked meals, _Darling_ ,” she swooned mockingly and jabbed the spoon into his hand. “It's not so bad either. You need to learn how to feed yourself anyway.”

“I eat just fine,” he huffed and she scoffed while motioning to the overflowing trash full of takeout boxes in the corner of the kitchen.

After everything was finished and plated, they sat on a blanket near the fireplace because he had broken the table during a fit of self-loathing. They passed a bottle of wine back and forth while they chewed their surprisingly delicious food in near silence.

“Fenris what are we going to do?” she broke the silence suddenly, her voice somber.

“I... don't know. Things should be fine as soon as I am approved for the green card. It should only take a few months,” he said while taking the empty plates away and setting them to the side.

“And after that will we...” she trailed off and looked pleadingly at him with her large, puppy eyes. The brilliance of her human eyes could rival any elf's.

“Divorce?” he supplied for her. She nodded.

The mere word itself sounded ominous to him. It seemed the logical thing to do after all of this was over. They were not lovers in the first place but he didn't want to imagine surrendering the marriage after they had only wed the day before.

“We shall see what happens,” was all he could say. Her brows shot up in surprise and that adorable blush Fenris found so appealing was rapidly spreading across her cheeks.

“O-okay,” she nodded quickly and looked away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think Antivan takeout is akin Mexican food because I live in Southern California and burritos need to be incorporated in this fic at least once. Also the song I imagined Hawke playing was [Where is My Mind by Maxence Cyrin.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts7FQaVULRs)


	5. Deep Roads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawke has an unsavory encounter and braves the Deep Roads in the name of science.

The next few days followed in a similar pattern. Hawke had taken to cleaning and furnishing the studio apartment in a single day while Fenris tried to help on the side.

He watched in awe as she cleaned, cooked and then brought out her textbooks to finish homework at the end of the day. He made it a point to give her space seeing as they weren't together and their real relationship was nothing more than friendly. Yet he couldn't help but be fascinated by her and missing her presence after she left for her classes.

She had insisted on sleeping on the couch and in a matter of a few days had carved her own little space in the once quiet apartment. Whether she was playing an instrument or playing a video game, when she was home there was noise. It was... nice.

When they heard another knock on the door one evening, they were prepared this time.

“Hello, Mr. Wright and Miss Ulrich,” she greeted politely while holding the door open for the Federal agents. The surprise was evident on their faces when they entered the very clean and warm apartment.

“Good morning to you Mr. and Mrs. Hawke,” Mr. Wright answered casually shaking both of their hands. “I expect you have some documentation for me from your doctor's visit?”

Fenris watched calmly as Hawke strolled over to the counter to retrieve the note from Anders with a look of sadness in her eyes. She solemnly looked down while handing Mr. Wright the note.

“Oh, I am so sorry to hear of that Mrs. Hawke,” the agent apologized sincerely. Miss Ulrich remained silent.

“It will be okay given time but thank you. We were so excited we didn't even bother to double check with another test,” she responded smoothly. The elf watched with a hint of amusement at how well she had taken on this role as his wife. He walked up to her then and placed a gentle, reassuring hand on the small of her back and she looked up at him gratefully.

“Well for now your case will remain under further investigation until you are notified by mail about the outcome. I will remain in touch,” Miss Ulrich spoke finally, nodding to Mr. Wright before they departed abruptly.

“That was awfully fast,” Hawke mused as soon as the door shut behind the federal agents.

“Suspiciously so,” Fenris agreed with a raised brow.

“Wanna go to the Hanged Man?” she suggested, heading to the coat rack to grab her olive jacket.

“Does that really seem like a good idea?”

“It's Friday night and I have no social life outside of the Hanged Man where all of our friends are. I suggest we get out of here,” Hawke explained, tossing his gray pullover towards him. He caught it, frowning at her but obliged.

They began their walk down several flights of stairs in silence and as soon as they left the complex they were met with a cold blast of wind. The chill air nipped at every bit of exposed skin, causing Hawke to squeal and Fenris to curse.

“ _Fasta vass_. Are you sure you want to go out now?” he asked loudly over the roar of the wind. She shot him a deadly glare.

“We'll miss Wicked Grace night!” she insisted. Despite the dark he could still make out her large eyes pouting in his direction. He scowled and said nothing as he began to try and wave down a taxi.

One would expect such foul weather to bring a halt to any nightlife but on this particular night, downtown Kirkwall was alive. When they exited the taxi, they were met with wave after wave of drunk college students yelling and laughing.

Before they had the chance to enter the bar, a young, human man took notice of Hawke and walked up to her casually.

“Hey Marian,” the tall, dark-haired man approached with a smirk. Fenris watched recognition dawn on her face as she turned to face him.

“Oh, uh, hey Saemus,” she mumbled nervously, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

“How have you been?” he asked, leaning closer into her.

“I'm well, thanks,” she answered quickly with a small, forced smile.

“I've been missing you, Marian. Why don't we catch up? I could buy you a drink or we could go back to my place,” Saemus asked in a husky voice. Sudden white-hot rage coursed through Fenris and before he knew what he was doing he acted.

Fenris abruptly stepped in front of Hawke, the markings briefly flashing blue before he caught himself. Although he was an elf, he was unusually tall for one and even had a couple inches on the human. He glared down at Saemus with a dangerous expression.

“I suggest you not speak to _my wife_ like that,” he said darkly, his voice low and threatening. Hawke remained quiet in surprise.

Saemus raised his arms in mock surrender with a look of genuine surprise and anger in his bright, blue eyes.

“When the hell did you get married, Marian? We were only together three months ago. You certainly wasted no time finding someone else to fuck after I dumped you,” Saemus spat at Hawke. She gasped, her brown eyes widening with hurt. Before Fenris could react, her jaw clenched in sudden determination.

“Saemus, you were the one having sex with other women while we were together. I should thank you really because without you, I never would have met the love of my life.”

“So you're happy with this knife-ear?” Saemus asked in disbelief. Hawke tentatively reached out to grasp Fenris's hand, tugging him back to stand beside her.

“Very much so, Saemus,” she said seriously, wrapping her arm around Fenris. Her affections, however false, caused Fenris to freeze in shock. He felt the lyrium in his skin hum and his heart begin to accelerate at the contact. He carefully put his arm around her shoulder and looked back up to Saemus.

“Whatever,” the human scowled, spinning around and walking away quickly.

Fenris didn't want to let her go. There was no need to put on a show anymore now that Saemus was gone and yet...

She slowly shrugged out from under his arm and avoided his gaze.

“Let's go inside. I need a drink,” she mumbled, hurriedly opening the door to the Hanged Man and disappearing.

 

“So how has married life been for you two?” Varric inquired playfully while shuffling the deck of cards. Hawke remained quiet, her head resting on her hand and staring off into space with a sad expression. Fenris shot Varric a warning look but the dwarf shrugged.

“You guys better have done the deed by now or I swear by the Maker,” Isabela said with a huff over her pint of beer.

“We have not done anything of the sort. This is an arrangement,” Fenris scowled, ignoring the Rivaini's disappointed look.

“You have been living together and pretending to be a couple and _haven't_ had sex?” Isabela looked offended and in disbelief at the absurd notion.

“I just think it's so very sad. Marriage should be about love,” Merrill added, leaning her head on Isabela's shoulder.

“Good job you two, now you've made Merrill sad. Just fuck each other already!” she scolded. Hawke finally raised her head and looked sternly at the group.

“Isabela,” Hawke warned and the Rivaini simply scoffed.

“You're wound up so tight, Kitten; you definitely need to get laid. You know if Fenris isn't willing to do the job, I'm always here...” Isabela said, leaning her cleavage against the table. Hawke groaned and dropped her head back into her hands.

“Hey Hawke, you know that guy over there is watching you, right?” Varric spoke up suspiciously, gesturing across the bar where a man sat wearing sunglasses dressed in black. She darted her head back up and looked around.

“Are we being followed? He kind of looks like a federal agent,” she noted, turning to Fenris worriedly.

“If so, they're not terribly subtle,” Anders chimed, unimpressed.

“I would not speak so loudly about how we're _not_ having sex, Isabela,” Fenris said quietly with a glare to the rogue.

“Shouldn't you guys be pretending to be a couple now?” Merrill asked. Hawke straightened her back and looked casually to the back of the bar where the man sat.

“Ugh, yeah he is definitely watching us. Are we going to be followed from now on?” she looked back to Fenris who just shrugged.

Hesitantly, he scooted slightly closer to Hawke and awkwardly draped his arm around her shoulder. The group went silent, watching curiously and trying to stifle laughter.

“Broody, you are terrible at this,” Varric chuckled.

“You need to look more natural. Press up against her and whisper naughty things in her ear!” Isabela suggested. He held his breath as he watched Hawke under his arm chuckle nervously.

_Maker, she's adorable.. Wait, what?_

Fenris shook his head, surprised at his own ridiculous thoughts. He did not find things _adorable_.

 

“Okay, so this is fine. It's just a two week trip into some old ass ruins. I need the experience as an archaeologist and the money. _I can fucking do this_.”

Fenris heard Hawke mumbling to herself from the music studio. That room had gradually become her own now that it was littered with sheet music and various instruments that weren't there before. She had even taken to sleeping on the rather uncomfortable couch in there.

Hesitantly, he cracked the door open and looked inside to find Hawke pacing madly back and forth in front of the grand piano. Her hair was pushed back in a messy ponytail and she wore a simple red tunic, black leggings, and hiking boots.

“Um, Hawke?” he interrupted. Immediately she darted her head up and froze like a deer in the headlights.

“Hey, um hi. Yeah?” she sputtered.

“Ready to go?” he asked before picking up her backpack full of supplies and swinging it over his shoulder.

“Yup,” she said, too quickly. He arched a black brow and looked suspiciously at her.

“Are you sure you want me to come with you? I really don't want to intrude on you or Varric's expedition.”

Her eyes went large and she stumbled forward, her hand brushing against his arm.

“Please come with me. You absolutely don't have to if you wish... but I would feel safer with you there,” Hawke spoke sincerely, darting her gaze down to her feet. He noticed a pink flush spreading from her cheeks to her tiny, human ears. Fenris felt all too aware of his erratic heartbeat and nodded.

“Of course.”

They met with Anders and Varric in Hightown where Varric was loading his Jeep with packs of supplies. Why she felt the need to bring Anders of all people was beyond Fenris but he would accompany Hawke nonetheless. It still wouldn't stop him from trying to convince her otherwise.

He gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, shooting Hawke a decidedly disapproving glare while motioning to Anders. She just giggled and shrugged her shoulders before whipping back around to help Varric finish loading the car.

“Alright kids, you ready to go on this expedition?” Varric chirped before closing the trunk and waltzing into the driver's seat.

“Definitely,” Hawke called before slipping into the middle of the backseat with Fenris. He slided in next to her, immediately freezing with the sudden contact. Their thighs brushed against each others and both pretended not to notice.

It was a painfully long drive skirting around Mount Sundermount to get to the isolated entrance of the Deep Roads. Anders had taken the liberty of plugging his phone into the stereo and blasting shitty pop while Varric audibly protested. All the while Fenris was pressed almost dangerously close to Hawke.

When they finally arrived Varric's brother, Bartrand, and his crew were already unloading their vehicles and prodding at the ancient entrance.

Hawke practically flew out of the Jeep, throwing her hands up dramatically while scolding the crew on properly handling the ancient technology that would lead them into the endless caverns of the Deep Roads.

An hour later, Hawke's clothing was sufficiently covered in dirt from where she knelt trying to brush and chip away at the hardened mud. Bartrand's crew offered to help but she refused any aid stating, “unless you have any experience in excavation I would caution against it.”

Fenris was sitting on the hood of the Jeep and biting into a granola bar while reading through his messages.

_\- Have fun! Take pictures! Love Merrill 1:47 PM_

He scowled at the message wondering how on Thedas Merrill even got his phone number in the first place. Probably Isabela. Speak of the devil.

_\- 2 weeks is a loooong time to spend in there. Maybe its time to get in her deep roads 1:50 PM_

Fenris didn't even want to dignify that with a response and instead sent Merrill a simple 'K' because _Maker_ , she was too nice. It infuriated him.

“Yes!” Hawke shouted, stunning everyone out of their reverie. There was a rather loud thud as the entrance cover fell open and dust flew everywhere. “Let's go!”

 

Hawke would _not_ cry. No, there was no way she was going to do that right now. It didn't matter that Varric's insane brother locked them in a previously unexplored area of the Deep Roads with no known exit. She could hold it together.

On the bright side, she had many pictures and had collected a ridiculous amount of samples to supply back to the college. It was their fault she was here anyway because they were unwilling to explore such an unknown area. What was the point of employing archaeologists if they weren't going to actively search for artifacts? A college freshman certainly had no business doing this without a proper team. 

Varric had insisted on bringing firearms to an archaeological dig which she didn't quite understand until now. Never had she even held a gun, not even when she had escaped the Blight with her family. Not until a horde of darkspawn began crazily running at them with ancient, rusted swords and armor of course.

Maker, bless her, she had even taken a couple pictures of weird ass rock monsters running directly towards their little group before Fenris unceremoniously shoved her behind him and into a wall.

After there were no more monsters to shoot at (who were no match for guns, by the way) Hawke lost it. She slid back against the wall until her butt hit the cold floor and groaned loudly, letting her body slump the rest of the way onto the ground as she pressed her head against the stone.

“Hawke, I wouldn't recommend taking a nap right here. Bad for your health,” Anders said while nudging her leg with his foot.

“It's probably around night, I'm tired. Let me sleep or die, I don't care,” she mumbled into the ground.

“Now Indy, we need to find another place to make camp,” Varric insisted somewhere above her. She groaned again.

“I said it _once_ , Varric!”

“Hawke you yelled at my brother through a sealed door about how the relic belonged in a museum. The nickname is here to stay,” the dwarf explained with a lighthearted chuckle.

“It's certainly better than Blondie,” Anders added ruefully.

“Ughhhh.”

The ground had vanished from underneath her as she was lifted hastily and thrown almost painfully over a shoulder.

“Fenris!” she screamed, swatting at his back furiously. “Put me down! You'll damage the samples I have in my pack!”

She felt the elf's grunt of acknowledgment but was nevertheless stuck up there as he began to strut away from the bodies of fallen darkspawn and weird rock monsters.

“Classic romance material right before my eyes. 'The brooding elf wordlessly whisks away his lover from the ruins of a fallen empire'.”

Fenris scowled, as expected. She would never admit it, of course, but the view from over his shoulder supplied a wonderful view of his backside as he walked.

“-while the maiden stares in a trance at our hero's shapely behind.”

“Varric!”

 

As it turned out, their expedition only lasted a week and a half. After stumbling upon a demon and the apparent leader of the rock monsters, the group had struck gold.

An entire room of ancient Dwarven treasures lay at the end of the not-so-dark tunnel with daylight poking its way through the entrance.

Hawke had been scribbling notes furiously and taking as many pictures allowed with her quickly dying camera even after they found the exit. Varric and Anders had disappeared to find the Jeep and pick them up while Fenris was left awkwardly shuffling his feet while Hawke was entranced with her work.

“My phone is dead,” she cried, throwing her head back in defeat and dropping her clipboard.

“Everyone's phone is dead. It will be fine,” Fenris responded before she lifted her head to look up at him. Her dark hair was bundled in a mess on her head and she was covered in at least a few day's worth of grime and still... she was beautiful to him.

_The fuck is wrong with you, Fenris._

“I'm sorry if I'm annoying. I know I've been a pain in the ass throughout all of this,” she mumbled into her arm draped across her knee. It was too fucking cute. It was a wonder he was able to keep his hands to himself for all this time.

“You could never annoy me.”

A mischievous smile played at her lips before she bounced up and fucking tackled him to the ground. She was giggling madly and tickling his neck and torso. Horror is what he felt in that moment. Horror and shock. Desperate laughs escaped his mouth as he began to struggle for air. Her hands were everywhere at once and his legs and arms were flailing around helplessly.

“I'm not annoying you, am I?” she sputtered through giggles.

“Hawke!” he meant it as a warning but it came out as a most unbecoming squeal which prompted more breathless laughter from them both.

He bucked his knee into her leg, knocking her sideways which gave him the advantage he needed. His hands found her wrists quickly as he swung a leg over her legs, effectively pinning her underneath his body.

Shocked silence followed as her wide eyes stared up at him expectantly. His heartbeat thundered in his chest as he leaned against her. Her breath had caught, her laughter sufficiently dead as she parted her lips. Her long hair had fallen free during the “attack” which lay around her like a dark halo.

He had kissed her before. It should not have scared him as much as it did. Swallowing his fear, looking down at her waiting so eagerly for him to act, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and leaned down.

A loud whistle echoed from the bright entrance where Varric stood with a knowing smirk on his face. Fenris bolted upright, guiltily avoiding Hawke's gaze, and held out a hand to help her up.

He was going to kill the Maker-forsaken dwarf. He only hoped the look he gave him could properly convey that.

“The awe-struck maiden eagerly parted her mouth waiting for our hero to claim her supple-”

“Varric!” Hawke cried, her cheeks flaming pink as she shuffled her notes and samples into the pack.


	6. Cars and Clubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TL;DR: No one fucks with Merrill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This is pretty much Marian trying to dance.](https://49.media.tumblr.com/f14c7370d57c93bc398c6a46fe0c0511/tumblr_nkspcccuSN1rm7d3so1_500.gif)
> 
> UPDATE: I'm on a small hiatus until after my finals are finished this Thursday, 12/10. I have a huge research paper due and will be focusing on that for just a little longer and then I'll get back to writing!

 

“You... got a car.” Hawke was waving her hands and gesturing dramatically to a forest green, twenty-something year old truck. Her smile was bright and way too excited for a car such as this.

“Yup!”

“It's a truck.”

She quirked her brow and dropped her hands. “What's wrong with it?”

“It's just after making all that money I expected you to find something a bit more... not beat-up,” Fenris explained hesitantly. She frowned at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I think it has character. I mean yeah, there is like 200k miles on this thing but it's cute enough! It's a little truck!”

He sighed heavily before stuffing his hands into the pockets of his straight-leg blue jeans. She was clearly more than pleased with her purchase and he had no reason to make her doubt her decision. Still... she was wealthy enough now after the expedition and could have found something at least a little more reliable, if not more aesthetically pleasing.

“Come on, I'll take you for a drive!” she urged before waltzing over to the passenger's side and opening the door for him. She bowed and smirked. “Good evening Mr. Fenris, where to?”

Fenris scowled at her without any real contempt before obliging and climbing into the passenger's seat. She closed the door for him and hurried over to the driver's seat before turning on the engine. It took a good three tries before it finally roared to life and she beamed at him.

“See what I mean! It has character!”

Driving in Kirkwall was insane. Hawke was by no means a bad driver but everyone else appeared to be. She remained quiet and calm throughout the onslaught of honking horns and people cursing at her for no reason.

They ended up parking in front of the estate she had purchased just a few days earlier for her mother and sister. There were people clearing out various trash and debris from inside of the estate when they pulled up.

“What's up, Uncle Gam Gams?” Hawke greeted her uncle who was helping unload moving boxes. The man turned to her with a look that could only be described as pure, unadulterated disdain. She seemed to take no notice and smiled cheerily at him before practically skipping into the house.

Fenris nodded in greeting before following her inside of the rapidly improved house her family was to inhabit. The ground had been cleared of anything icky and scrubbed spotless to reveal a beautiful dark wood flooring. A handyman they had encountered in the Deep Roads, Bodahn, had repainted the walls with his son, Sandal.

Hawke's mother, Leandra, was ecstatic and more than happy to spend the money Hawke had earned just a week prior in the Deep Roads. The ancestral home had been repurchased immediately following Hawke's check from Kirkwall College. Bethany had already been making various purchases at the mall with her friends on expensive bags and clothing because a hot pink, one-hundred sovereign purse was absolutely necessary.

Fenris would have put an abrupt hold on the money almost immediately while Hawke remained dutifully quiet. It infuriated him to watch her family take advantage of her like that. Even her uncle felt entitled to some of it.

“Um Marian what is that parked in our driveway?” Bethany entered the house clutching the ridiculous pink purse to her shoulder.

“It's my new car!” Hawke responded eagerly. Her mother and sister shot daggers at her while Leandra openly groaned.

“Marian we cannot be seen with that piece of junk in a Hightown neighborhood.” Leandra's disapproval radiated off of the poised woman which made even Fenris uncomfortable.

“Well I like it,” Marian answered quietly, looking down at her black high-tops.

“Hawke,” Fenris abruptly interrupted before clearing his throat. “Remember you promised to meet Varric.”

She cocked her head curiously while he gave her a knowing look. She eventually nodded understandingly and looked back to her mother.

“Well Mom, I'll come back to check on the place later!” she promised with her signature smile before turning and taking Fenris's hand casually. The lyrium in his palm sang at the gentle touch as they walked away.

“Get rid of that truck Marian!”

 

Marian was helping Merrill arrange some flowers in her shop in Lowtown by the time Isabela arrived with a large bottle of rum.

“I was fired! Let's drink!” Isabela announced, disregarding the confused customers in Merrill's Florist shop.

“Oh Isabela, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm afraid Hawke and I have to finish this arrangement for a funeral tomorrow,” Merrill said with a fond smile to the rogue.

“Kitten, the dead can wait. There's this big, sexy man I want you to meet,” Isabela insisted before opening the bottle of rum and taking a swig. Merrill visibly grimaced and Hawke gave the elf a sympathetic look. Merrill's crush on Isabela was painfully obvious and Isabela out of all people seemed to take no notice.

“Merrill if you want to go have fun with Isabela, I can finish this for you. All I have to do is tie some ribbons anyway and then I'll close shop for you,” Hawke chimed in with a mischievous smirk directed towards Merrill. The elf looked hesitant but was practically squirming in her seat at the thought of hanging out with Isabela.

“Oh Hawke, I don't want to be a bother-”

“It's fine! I have nothing to do tonight anyway.”

“Obviously when you're done, you'll have to meet us,” Isabela added before sliding up to the counter, providing an impressive view of her cleavage through her skin-tight dress.

“Yes Hawke! You should!”

“Where are you even going?” The thought of going out to some club didn't exactly appeal to her at the moment but she didn't exactly want to be alone either.

“It's in Downtown called 'The Keep'. You better show up because I'm dragging your hubby along too.” With that, Isabela had taken Merrill's hand and dragged her out of the shop excitedly.

Marian rolled her eyes and continued arranging the white ribbons into bows around the beautiful floral wreath. The few customers that were there before must have fled at the sight of Isabela's raucous behavior and so she was alone.

By the time she had finished the arrangement, the sun had set behind Mount Sundermount leaving a trail of orange being engulfed by various shades of blue. She had made sure to deadlock the shop because poor Merrill had been robbed far too many times at this point. The elf simply forgot to lock the door most of the time.

The city was still bustling with activity, as usual. She had luckily decided against driving to Lowtown and opted instead to walk straight to the club. Although she wore her olive green utility coat, the form-fitting and long-sleeve, black dress underneath could pass as suitable club attire. She never bothered with heels anyway and wouldn't care about starting now. At least she made sure to reapply her lipstick and play with her hair a bit before leaving the shop.

She removed her coat as she neared the club thumping with obnoxious music that could be heard from miles away. The bouncer glanced at her critically as she approached before silently pushing open the door for her.

The overwhelming scent of sweat and strong perfume and cologne met her as she entered and began to cough. It was dim and filled to the brim with bodies. The club was lit with blue LED lights barely bright enough to make out a person's figure among the mass of people.

_This is a fire hazard waiting to happen. How would I get out if that were to happen like right now?_

She shook her head and scoffed at her overly paranoid mind before beginning to navigate through the crowd. She squirmed her way through until she could spot Isabela's signature curls and Merrill's out-of-place, short pigtails.

_I wish I could still rock pigtails like that._

“Hawke! There you are, I need someone to dance with me!” Isabela had sauntered over and grabbed her around the waist eagerly pulling her back into the blob of humans, elves and dwarves.

“Isabela, you know I can't dance!” she shouted over the music but of course it fell on deaf ears. Instead the pirate began rubbing her body against Hawke's and forcing her to move with her.

She tried, Maker knows she really was trying, but she just didn't know how to move properly. She let Isabela lead her in this raunchy dance as she twirled her around, moving her ass against her crotch. Ew.

Suddenly there was another body and she was being squished between the two. She looked up in a panic to find Anders staring down at her with _a look_. He glided his hands freely along her waist and began trying to press her against him.

Nope, nope, nope.

She was sufficiently sandwiched between the experienced and graceful dancers while she tried her best not to pull a face to rival Nigel Thornberry's.

Then there were more hands pulling her away rather urgently and she was met with Fenris's green eyes staring into her... strangely. His hands wrapped around her hips as he began to move them. Wait. What.

_WHAT IS HAPPENING?_

His hands were roaming around her body as he possessively locked her in his arms. She was stunned, too fucking stunned to do anything but allow him to move her.

_This is okay. This is fine. He's only molding his body against mine until we morph into one single elf-human hybrid._

Okay, maybe it was nice. He certainly knew what he was doing at least. His skin was hot to the touch where the lyrium ran underneath his skin. She could feel his breath against her neck causing goosebumps to rise along her skin. She hadn't even realized she was responding until he tossed his head back and groaned. Fuck, that had to be the hottest thing Hawke had ever heard in her whole life and she was forever going to use this as material for when she was alone.

Then it was over at the sound of an altercation nearby. Hawke spun around to find Merrill sniffling and a dwarf trying to tug her into the crowd.

HELL NAH.

Hawke had taken notice at the same time as Anders and Isabela and all three had hurried forward to find out what was happening.

“Kitten, is this dwarf bothering you?” Isabela said with a dangerous expression locked on the red-headed dwarf.

“I was just going to buy the lady a drink!” the dwarf held his hands up in surrender.

“He grabbed me most inappropriately,” Merrill squeaked.

So the group had been thrown out of the club for starting just a bit of a brawl. Anders had thrown a punch, Isabela might have given a slap or two. Even Fenris had joined in despite his “dislike” for the Dalish elf.

Hawke had held Merrill's hand as they walked along Downtown in search of an Antivan restaurant still open at 1:30 in the morning. Eventually they found a place surprisingly busy and texted Varric to join them.

Hawke tried to shove down her carne asada and french fry abomination of a burrito into her mouth while trying to stifle much too sexy thoughts of a certain elf rubbing his lithe body against hers.

_Sweet Maker._

 


	7. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! My first semester of college is finished so I will have much more time to write as long as anyone is interested. 
> 
> Okay, so I know this is kind of a serious chapter and I wanted to keep this lighthearted but it's hard! Fenris was a slave and I feel like I should incorporate that because it's such a huge part of his life. 
> 
> So trigger warning for mentions of rape and sex slavery.

His mouth was gagged and his arms were bound behind his back. If not for the blindfold shielding his vision, he would know for certain he was on display for countless people to observe. The room was uncomfortably warm as sweat dripped from his brow and down his bare chest.

There were whispering voices from all around him and the sound of a woman whimpering somewhere beside him.

“Shut up!”

There was a loud smack that echoed across the large room and a dull thud, which he assumed meant the woman had hit the ground.

He knew this routine by now. He knew to keep quiet and avoid his Master's wrath.

_“Be a good little wolf and you will get a treat.”_ Danarius's voice came to mind and he knew if he obeyed he would be fed tonight.

“Come here, Fenris. A kind gentleman has payed handsomely for your company tonight.” His feet moved forward without thought before he felt foreign, rough hands grasp his forearm.

“I can assure you, Serah, my little wolf is _very_ talented.”

 

“Fenris!” His body flew upward immediately while his heart thudded erratically in his chest. His eyes flashed open to find Hawke hovering overhead with a look of concern etched in her serious expression.

“Fenris, I'm here. It's okay now, it was just a bad dream,” she spoke softly but quickly, her small hand reaching out towards his face before she seemingly caught herself and hesitantly patted and rubbed his shoulder instead.

“Hawke,” her name on his tongue came out in a rather undignified ragged, high-pitched voice. She wordlessly handed him a glass of water he had left on his nightstand and he gratefully downed it. His hands were shaking as he set the glass back down and she had noticed, raising her brow in alarm.

“Hawke, I-”

“Shh, you don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to. I won't push you, just know that I'm here for you.” She had reached out once more to gently rub his bare shoulder, ignoring the sheen of sweat on his skin. Her pale hand looked stark in contrast to his tanned skin as she tried to softly soothe him with her touch. Knowing Hawke, it took everything in her power not to wrap her arms around him, which was her usual method of comfort with her friends.

“I-I want to. I mean, you should probably know some of it considering that you are my wife.” The word “wife” still sounded strange being spoken aloud.

He shakily scooted aside in his bed to make room for her to sit beside him. Hesitantly, she adjusted her large t-shirt that she wore to bed and sat, folding her legs under her and making sure to leave a significant gap between them.

“Was your dream about Danarius?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, it was more like a memory. I was being shown to a group of people and Danarius was arranging for me to... _service_ someone for the evening. I remembered being gagged so I couldn't speak and wearing a blindfold. I remembered a girl being smacked. She was later starved to death,” he was speaking and he couldn't even stop himself. He had never wanted to share his experience as a sex slave to anyone. Of course everyone knew what he was but he didn't want their pity. Never before had he explained that he was a victim to a sex slave trafficking ring.

“You were a _sex_ slave?” she squeaked. He looked up from staring blankly at the sheets to her hugging her knees to her chest and balling her fists tightly. There was a haunted look in her dark eyes as she looked at him.

“Yes.”

She let out a ragged breath and her eyes flashed with such an uncharacteristic, deep look of hatred and fury that it frankly stunned him.

“If that man ever dares even step foot in the Free Marches, we will find him and I will personally ensure that he is dead. I feel like such an idiot, I knew you were a slave but I had no idea... I'm so sorry, Fenris. I know I cannot possibly understand any of what you went through but I-I. I won't let him hurt you again.” Her hand flew up to run through her long, disheveled hair and she looked back at him anxiously. He noted her fury and the sorrowful guilt that flashed in her dark eyes as he stared openly at her.

“You know what I am and you'd still help me?” he asked in disbelief. He had assumed anyone would be disgusted with what he was. He was an object, a whore, a nonperson for so long and if anyone knew his past, if anyone knew the things he had done they would see nothing but a worthless slave.

Her eyes widened in shock and he noticed her bite her bottom lip nervously, even in the dim light supplied from the open window and full moon.

“What you are? You mean my friend, my sort-of husband? I would stand with you no matter what. You're a free man, Fenris, and I care for you,” she spoke with sad conviction and his heart trembled at the very sight of her and her sweet voice. She _cared_ for him.

“You care for me?” he asked, his voice low and stunned.

“Yes, I thought you knew that already.” She offered a small, reassuring smile and he looked back down nervously to his fumbling hands.

The urge to touch her and feel her would overtake him just as it had before at the nightclub. The sight of the mage grabbing her and trying to dance with her had infuriated his already inebriated mind beyond reason and he could not stop himself from taking her. The memory of her stunned expression as he moved his body against hers and the way she finally responded to him left him breathless. Looking at her now in just her t-shirt and underwear would break him.

“I am in your debt,” he found himself finally responding and her expression fell.

“There is no debt, I just said I care about you. You're my friend,” she insisted and he clenched his fist against the sheet covering the lower half of his body. He wanted more. He was wholly undeserving of someone so beautiful and kind but he wanted her with his entire being. He no longer was a slave but he might as well have belonged to her. She had his heart and although the very thought terrified him, it was exhilarating in ways he couldn't begin to fathom.

“Fenris?” she was staring at him with concern, probably wondering why he was so frustrated and speechless. “Have I upset you, do you want me to go?”

She thought he wanted her to leave? He panicked, whipping his head up and frantically grabbing her wrist to keep her from leaving his bed.

“Don't go.” He hated how weak he must have sounded to her but in that moment he couldn't be bothered to care. He watched her chest rise and fall weakly before she leaned back against the headboard and softly unleashed his rough grip on her wrist. Before she could drop his hand, she slipped her calloused fingers through his. She began to bite her lip again nervously and purposefully avoided his surprised gaze as she held on. Her other fingers reached out to trace the lines of lyrium that ran along his wrist and hand.

“I'm here; I won't leave you, I promise. You should get some more rest,” she promised, all the while tracing his tattoos. Her touch was light and soothing and soon he found himself falling back against the pillows as she leaned over to cover him with the linen sheets once more.

 

“I can't believe the semester is finally over!” Hawke exclaimed as she stepped into the relatively empty Hanged Man.

Isabela and Varric cheered from the bar and held up their pints as she sat beside them. Merrill and Anders were arguing about the ancient medicinal properties of elfroot on the other side of the bar.

“Congrats, Little Lady. Have a drink on me,” Varric insisted as he quickly waved down the bartender, Norah.

“Aw shucks, thanks Varric.” Hawke offered a brilliant smile before she was almost shoved out of the stool as Isabela threw herself against her in a large hug.

“You're such a good student, it's adorable. Now, it's time to party. Let's go dancing again!” Isabela suggested enthusiastically.

“I'll have to pass, Isabela,” Merrill called from the other side of the room with a frown.

“Aw Kitten, I understand. We have to do something though.” Isabela finally released her grip on Hawke before finishing her drink and hopping onto the bar to sit.

There was a loud crash as the door slammed open and the whole bar spun around to find Fenris marching in. His white hair was drenched and had fallen out of its usual style to hang in front of his furious, green eyes. He made a beeline towards Hawke, ignoring the impressive amount of rainwater soaking the floor from where he walked.

“Fenris, are you o-”

He threw his arms around her and pulled her body against his soaked clothing. His shivering cold hand tangled into her long hair before he leaned her back against the bar. Determined green eyes locked onto hers as he titled his head forward. Hawke was frozen in place, her mind clouded as she felt his warm breath against her lips.

The sound of loud jeering and whooping around them almost pulled Hawke from her reverie until Fenris's eyes briefly flashed with hesitation.

_No_. Without a moment to doubt herself she desperately wound her hand into the collar of his henley shirt, pulling him closer to finally lock her lips onto his. He responded in kind, his lips moving eagerly against her own. His mouth was hot and he tasted of coffee and something undeniably sweet. Fenris was wet and freezing but he smelled of rain and leather and she couldn't care less if she was soaked through her clothes after this. For a moment she almost feared she would die of an unknown cardiac condition by the way her heart was beating so hard and fast. As her body was pulled flush against his, she could feel his own heart against her chest beating in almost equal measure.

Oh, there was definite cheering and groans across the bar now but she couldn't care. She was lost in him.

Too soon, he abruptly pulled back panting. She watched him with a baffled look as she placed one hand against her heart as if to calm herself down and the other against her lips where he had kissed her. He wasn't looking at her anymore, his head had whipped up to stare towards the entrance of the bar. There stood the unsubtle agent that had been following them, openly staring at the pair with a stunned expression.

_You and me too, dude._

The man quickly spun around and exited the bar. Hawke and Fenris both exhaled in relief before she turned away from the elf. It was a show. That's all it was.

She felt the soup she had eaten earlier churn in her stomach at the sobering feeling of dread and embarrassment. She felt her cheeks flaming and she needed to be anywhere but here where everyone was watching her.

“I'll see you guys later. Bye,” she sputtered out, dazed, before she scooted around Fenris and Isabela, who had an entirely too-good view of their kiss from atop the bar.

She needed to get out of there, away from him. She was an idiot to kiss him like that, especially after everything he had told her. She foolishly assumed he might have wanted her back.

The rain was pouring hard as she exited the bar. She shivered and pulled up the hood of her coat, thankful that the horrible weather would hide her pitiful sniffling and tears as she headed back to Hightown to stay with her mother for the night.

 


	8. Magazine Covers, Oh My

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OG Professor Solas, everybody.

“Not that I am ungrateful for the help, Miss Hawke, but I fail to understand why exactly you are here.” Professor Solas was eyeing Hawke peculiarly as she helped dust the casts of various species' skulls he had on display. She had appeared almost alarmingly early in the morning, somehow expecting to find the instructor here despite the semester having finished.

“I am simply eager to assist, Professor,” she responded respectfully with a small smile. He returned her smile with a fond one himself, though he was well aware that she was lying.

Hawke had become his star pupil during only her first semester at Kirkwall College. She had a large interest in all things ancient, regardless of origin and it made him lucky to have taught her. Solas was a bit perturbed after hearing of her own venture into the Deep Roads after the college refused to fund such a dangerous excavation but was nonetheless proud when she came out successful.

“Are you aware that you made the cover of _Archaeology Today_ this past month?” he inquired conversationally. Hawke almost dropped the cast of a 4000 year old replica of a Qunari skull and stared up at him wide-eyed.

“I-I what?”

Solas said nothing as he rummaged through his desk and uncovered his copy. There she stood in front of the entrance to the ruins, smiling broadly and holding an ancient Dwarven axe in her arms. Her dark eyes skimmed across the pages as she found the article detailing her find and promptly jumped, squealing. Solas startled as she quickly wrapped her arms around him in an excited hug and pulled away, hugging the magazine to her chest.

“I can't believe I'm on the cover of _Archaeology Today_! Oh please can I keep this, Professor?” she ceased from jumping and looked up to him, large brown eyes practically begging.

“Of course, da'len.” He however did not mention that he had extra copies to save as she thanked him profusely and ran out of his office, forgetting about the casts.

_This must be what it's like to have kids..._

 

“Oh Marian, this is wonderful news! We'll go get some copies now but first I just have to call my friends and tell them,” Leandra insisted excitedly, pulling out her smart phone and excusing herself from the luxurious living room.

“That's so awesome. We should celebrate. Why don't you call Fenris over?” Bethany asked with an innocent smile. Hawke stiffened in her seat, looking down awkwardly at her hands as they fumbled with the pages in the magazine.

“W-why would I call Fenris?” Bethany rolled her dark eyes and gave her an exasperated look.

“Uh, because you're with him all the time and you're obviously in love with each other?”

“Pssh, naw. I'm not in love-”

“Oh hush, you're not fooling anybody. Now invite your friends over and let's enjoy ourselves!” Her younger sister was practically filling to the brim with excitement over the idea of a get-together but Hawke hadn't seen Fenris in days. She had texted her friends, sure, but heard not a word from Fenris.

“Make sure to invite Anders over,” Bethany added, which brought a suspicious glare from Hawke.

“Um, why?”

“Because he's hot.”

Hawke sputtered out a baffled guffaw leaving Bethany to watch in bewilderment.

“What did I say?”

“There's no way you have a crush on _Anders_ ,” Marian began in disbelief after recovering from her boisterous display. The younger Hawke shrugged and looked down, her cheeks flaming red.

_Is that what I look like when I'm embarrassed? Maker, I must be so obvious._

“I would advise against it. You're only seventeen and he's like thirty. Gross.”

“He's cute! Cuter than Fenris.” Hawke gasped aloud, turning in shock to her sister.

“There's no way you think Anders is more attractive than Fenris. Have you seen Fenris?” Hawke motioned wildly with her flailing hands around her as if that would somehow convince Bethany of her point.

“I prefer his scruffy blond hair and he's a certified mage doctor,” she argued with a shrug.

“Yeah but Fenris is tall and lithe, with badass tattoos lining his body. His hair is still sort of ruffled if you prefer a more rugged look but you can tell he cares for it more than Anders does. He has an undercut and brushes it back and everything and it's _white_!”

A wicked grin quickly spread on Bethany's pink lips and she crossed her arms, reclining back into the sofa.

“You're drooling a bit. Tell me again how you're not in love with him?” Bethany asked mischievously.

Hawke could feel her cheeks burning up into her tiny ears and groaned, holding her hands in her face as she fell back into the couch beside her sister.

“I've got it so bad.”

“So bad,” Bethany agreed.

 

Somehow, Leandra Hawke had managed to turn a suggested small get-together into a large, roaring soiree. She invited her Hightown friends and they inevitably brought their kids and significant others. Then came Hawke's friends who dragged along a plus-one or two.

“Hawke you sexy fiend, lemme introduce you to my good friend here, Sera,” Isabela came over with a blonde, lanky elf attached to her hip who was almost equally drunk.

“This is Professor stick-up-his-arse's favorite, innit!” Sera sniggered, her head falling into Isabela's shoulder.

“Professor's favorite, hm? You devilish little teacher's pet, you.” Isabela winked and cocked a brow suggestively. The implication had Hawke sputtering in horror and inwardly vomiting.

“Maker, ew. Don't you put that evil on me, Isabela.” Hawke gagged for emphasis and nodded to the drunk elf before retreating out of the crowded room, up the stairs, and into the study.

Here was where her father's favorite books and instruments were that Leandra had somehow been able to secure during their escape from Lothering. Marian picked up Malcolm's violin and ever so gently began to tune the old instrument by ear.

By some miracle the strings didn't snap and fling out at her and she placed her chin upon the rest to test out the bow made of Ferelden horse hair along the strings. She hadn't played in years, not since her father died, but soon she began to play a simple melody from memory and let it consume her.

It was a Ferelden folk song usually accompanied by an obnoxious stomping dance that she had to make up for lively as she swung her hips back and forth in time with the music. Malcolm himself had taught her this dance as he played his violin. They would spend hours playing music together.

Now as she hummed and danced along with her little jig, her heart jumped at the sound of a glass shattering behind her. She stopped playing abruptly, whirling around to find Fenris standing there by her desk in a blue button up and jeans looking awfully guilty.

“Fenris?” she asked incredulously. She hadn't expected him to show up after she sent him a text inviting him over since she had no response.

His green eyes were blown wide, looking at her shoulder where the instrument rested.

“That was really good. I didn't know you could play so many instruments.” He finally was speaking and she lowered the violin, relieved, setting it back on the wall rest.

“Oh, uh, thank you. You kinda did, I mean I have a lot of instruments over at your place,” she added with a tiny smirk.

“Our place,” he corrected her automatically. He quickly closed his mouth as if he was surprised he had said that himself.

“Right.” The burning in her cheeks was back in full force from earlier and she had to struggle to look away, hoping he wouldn't notice her rampant blushing. Of course he did.

“I-I miss you,” he began, “What I mean to say is that I miss having you around. You didn't have to leave.”

His voice had faltered at the last word and her heart nearly broke at the sound of it. Could he really miss her?

_You idiot. Give him a hug or something._

“Really?” she asked, her voice small and unsure.

“Yeah. You said with all your free time on break we'd play video games together, remember?” That inevitably brought a beaming smile to Hawke's face as she approached and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head into his chest.

“I'm sorry. Let's get out of this stupid place. This party isn't even in my honor anymore,” she joked, smirking into his warm chest. She felt his ragged breath against her neck before he returned her embrace, trapping her closer into him.

“I should probably clean up the broken glass first.” She could feel the deep vibrations in his chest when he spoke with his smooth, low voice and it sent a delicious shiver down her spine.

_He will notice that too, time to let go before you make any more stupid decisions._

She pulled back and looked down at his bare feet which brought a frown to her full lips.

“Are you for real? It's winter and freezing outside and you're still not wearing shoes?” Hawke scolded him, placing her hand on her hip and looking back into his jade eyes expectantly.

“I'm _fine_ , Hawke.”

“You're bleeding,” she pointed out, his toe having been cut by the glass. She looked back up just in time to find him scowling, as usual.

“There's the broodiness I so love!” she cheered at his expression in jest and his scowl somehow deepened.

_“I do not brood.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maker, so much tension between those nerds. I love it.


	9. A Very Kirkwall Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm really surprised to be getting all this encouragement and I just want to thank everyone for reading this and giving feedback. I appreciate it very much! Sorry for not updating sooner, unfortunately I've been sick with the flu but I'll try and write more once I feel better. Happy Holidays you lovely people! <3
> 
> EDIT: user Bagatelle pointed out something that I forgot to add so I fixed it! Thank you!

“I said no, Hawke.”

“It's just a hat, Fenris.”

For the past ten minutes she had been trying to convince him to wear the Maker-forsaken Santa hat that she insisted would look “adorable” on him. Fenris was not _adorable_.

Of course she won in the end. He wore the stupid hat, if only for her to stop pestering him, and they soon were gathered around the Christmas tree in Hawke's ancestral manor with their friends and her family.

“Sweet thing, you best not open that in front of your family,” Fenris heard Isabela whisper conspiratorially into Hawke's ear.

“Now you have to!” Bethany insisted after overhearing Isabela. The rest of the party quieted to watch as Bethany snagged the gift meant for Hawke from Isabela.

“Bethany if I know anything about Isabela it would be best that you don't,” Hawke warned, her voice high and pleading.

“Oh it can't be that bad.”

Bethany tore excitedly into the wrapping paper and tossed the gift box open to find a black lace lingerie set complete with a thong, garter belt, stockings, and revealing corset.

“Blessed Andraste!” Bethany shrieked, pushing the box away in horror. Anders, Isabela, Varric, and even Aveline began laughing wholeheartedly while Merrill looked on in confusion.

“What's wrong? I think it's quite beautiful, Isabela,” Merrill chirped with a reassuring smile directed towards the rogue.

“I agree, every woman needs something lacey and girly like that,” Leandra added thoughtfully.

“Mother!” Hawke squeaked, her entire face tinged pink.

Fenris could practically feel Hawke's embarrassment from across the room and he decided that although he should feel the same, he couldn't stop imagining her actually wearing the set. Not that he'd ever seen her in such a state of undress but _Venhedis_ , did he like the very idea of it.

“Oh, quiet Missy. I was a married young woman myself once,” Hawke's mother scolded with a wave of her hand in dismissal. Hawke curled in on herself, burying her face in her knees as if to hide her embarrassment, and groaned.

Later that evening, the party had assisted in cooking dinner. Leandra cooked an entire ham and turkey while Hawke made mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables. Merrill and Isabela made pies while Fenris himself supplied the alcohol despite the fact that Hawke and Bethany were technically not old enough to drink.

When the night began to wind down, Fenris found himself in the main room in front of the fire nursing his third glass of wine while listening to Varric and Merrill sing Christmas songs. Isabela was teasing Aveline and Donnic in the corner while Anders engaged Leandra in a lively conversation about the décor in her home.

He hardly noticed when Bethany sat beside him on the couch and looked firmly in his direction. When she failed to look away, he finally spared a suspicious glance to the younger Hawke.

“Can I be of some assistance?” he inquired. Bethany crossed her arms and looked at him sternly.

“When are you gonna make your move on Marian?” Fenris immediately tensed, his fist a flinch away from crushing the fine wine glass.

“What are you talking about?” He tried to sound indifferent but even he could hear the hesitation in his usually stoic voice.

“My sister? That girl you're totes in love with?”

“I am not 'totes in love with anyone', mage. If you didn't realize, we're not really a married couple,” Fenris spat, turning back to face the fire.

“You're not trying to convince anyone but yourselves. Everyone saw that kiss in the Hanged Man and I sure heard a great deal about it along with the rest of Kirkwall. There's definitely something going on there,” Bethany insisted with wide brown eyes, just a bit warmer than Hawke's.

“I can assure you-”

“Ugh just go find her!” She said exasperated, throwing her hands up in the air in defeat. Fenris scowled before obliging the pesky young girl, but not before finishing his wine, of course.

The manor was impressively large and a bit difficult to navigate but eventually he found Hawke sitting on the frozen swing in the garden. Her dark hair was under the beanie Merrill had made and gifted her and blowing around her face with the wind. She was visibly shivering and clenching her pale fingers around the olive green coat she was bundled under.

He slowly walked up to her in an effort not to startle her while his boots crunched in the freshly fallen snow. Kirkwall rarely got snow in the winter and the citizens were in a frenzy, unaware of how to even handle such brutal weather.

“Fenris?” She called, her voice almost lost to the wind. He approached the porch swing and nodded at her, attempting to warm his bare hands in the pockets of his black coat.

“Hawke. What are you doing alone out here?”

She scooted to make room for him and he quickly sat beside her, thankful for the faint whisper of body heat that radiated from her. He noticed the dress and tights she wore and disregarding himself completely, he quickly slid off his coat to drape over her lap.

Her large doe eyes looked up at him and she smiled brilliantly, revealing her surprisingly endearing overbite.

“Thank you. I'm out here just 'cause.” Hawke answered easily, her arms bundling underneath his coat. He shivered uncontrollably when a gust of wind blew in their direction and she frowned, worry creasing her brow.

“I'm fine, Hawke.” Fenris tried to give a reassuring smile, attempting to prevent her needless concern for his well-being. She however continued anxiously staring up at him before rolling her eyes and pressing herself against his side.

“You'll freeze, let's go inside,” Hawke urged, gently poking his hip covered in a thin white button-up. He felt goosebumps rise along the side where she touched him and he scowled inwardly at himself.

_I'm no better than a little boy with a crush playing in the schoolyard. Venhedis, Bethany was right._

He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to quiet such ridiculous thoughts that needn't be spoken aloud.

“I-I'm fine, Hawke. Don't concern yourself over me.”

“Of course I'll concern myself over you! I thought I made it blatantly obvious,” she scoffed. He could think of no other response to that and so he shifted nervously in his seat, the swing rocking with the sudden jerk. He could feel her warmth against him and he carefully placed his arm around her shoulder, bracing himself for her to push him away. Alas she didn't and he was left rocking the swing back and forth with his leg as she curled around him.

“I'm quite comfortable,” he breathed out, his voice lower and huskier than even he had expected.

“Good,” she said, her breath evaporating into the cold night air. They remained silent and still, watching the light snow fall and dance around them with the wind.

“Oh! I almost forgot to give you your gift!” She jumped, breaking their reverie and reaching into her coat to dig through a pocket. He watched her fumble with a thin box wrapped in a bright, red ribbon. Fenris nervously reached for the box as she eagerly handed it to him and untied the ribbon. Upon opening the box, he found to his utter humiliation a book. His fists clenched in panic and he felt his throat constrict.

“It's a... book.” He stumbled on his words and almost immediately her expression fell.

“Yeah... I suppose it is. Um- I mean, it's like about Shartan. You know, the dude who helped Andraste free the slaves. I don't know-”

“No, it sounds great. I just don't really know how to read. I can write my name I guess but that's it.” In that moment Fenris felt small once more. He was taken from his family as a boy and any memory of school or even reading had been forgotten. It was just another painful reminder of how incompetent of a man he truly was.

“Well I could teach you. That is if you'd like to learn from me.” She was watching his face, awaiting his response and by the looks of it she didn't expect much from him.

Fenris wasn't expecting that. Hawke wanted to take the time to teach him such a thing? All these years of pretending and not understanding any words he saw around him and now he finally had the chance to learn. He was in awe.

“I would very much like that.” Fenris couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto his lips and she beamed at him and then paused, her dark brows furrowed in confusion.

“Wait, how in the Void have you been texting if you couldn't read?” she asked in disbelief.

“Voice text. You know, speaking into the phone and when I get a message it is read out to me.”

"What about when those Immigration Officers were there?" 

“I was sneaking off to the bathroom every five seconds.”

She laughed and looked up with an amused grin. "Oh okay, very sneaky."

“Thank you, Hawke.” She flashed her smile at him and curled back into his side. 

_I think I'll keep this..._ He thought as he touched the red ribbon that he stashed in his jean pocket.

 

“Look Broodmeister, I got some news from our good lawyer friend, Mr. Erikson. Some broad named Hadriana tried to sneak into the Free Marches looking for you.” Varric supplied over his pint of beer in his apartment suite over the Hanged Man. Fenris fist slammed into the dining table where they sat, his back stiffening and his lip contorting in a violent snarl.

“What was that?” The elf growled.

“Some mage lady, Hadriana, tried to come into Kirkwall with several loaded firearms and then she attacked border control. She was killed during the standoff.” The dwarf explained, holding his hands up cautiously as if to placate Fenris.

“Hadriana is dead?” Fenris muttered to himself in disbelief, falling back into his chair and breathing deeply.

“Yes. She said something about a sister of yours. Varania I believe. Here's the letter from the lawyer about the situation.”

“Sister,” Fenris said the word slowly, reaching for the letter, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

“It's all in the letter.”

“I-I should go,” Fenris stuttered, hurriedly shoving the chair back and reaching for his jacket.

He was out of there, panting and cursing in Tevene as onlookers stared in confusion at the fuming elf. He cared not for the icy chill of the night and didn't bother with a taxi or Uber, simply running off towards the direction of Hightown with the letter burning hotly in his coat pocket against his chest. Unfortunately, he needed Hawke to read it for him.

He cursed his poor choice in footwear considering he usually never wore shoes and was wearing a ratted pair of old boots he found at Goodwill that did nothing to protect his feet. Fenris sprinted, his arms swinging in time with his legs as they made contact with the icy concrete. Fortunately, he managed possibly by Divine intervention not to slip on the ice. 

She was dead. The bitch was dead. The woman who denied his meals, who paraded him around in ridiculous outfits to please whatever wretch wanted him for the evening, was finally dead. Yet he wasn't happy. There was no closure in this, no sense of relief. Danarius was still out there, still pimping out other hopeless slaves who know no other than his depraved will.

He was burning, his limbs on fire and his lungs tightening with effort as he finally reached Hightown. Fenris managed to maneuver around the sea of cars and people, until he slammed the doors open to the luxury apartments he was squatting in and hurried up the stairs.

When he unlocked his apartment, a delicious aroma wafted over him and the sound of Hawke picking at the strings of her classical guitar immediately greeted him. Deciding against storming into Hawke's room/music studio, he instead took a moment to breathe deeply and shrug out of his black coat. The blighted letter fell onto the floor and none other than Hawke bent down to pick it up for him. He hadn't even noticed that she had ceased playing and joined him in the living room.

“Fenris?”

He didn't take the letter back from her as she tried to hand it to him and he clutched onto the counter nearby to steady himself.

“Please read it to me.” He spoke shakily but she nonetheless obliged, opening the envelope and unfolding the paper.

 

_Tethras,_

_A woman by the name of Hadriana has been killed at the border of the Free Marches and the Tevinter Imperium. She was carrying loaded firearms and attacked an agent with her magic and staff, using blood magic in the process. She spoke of Fenris and a sister of his supposedly named Varania who works as a seamstress at Ahrimand's Tailor. I figured we could gather evidence just in case to support his staying in the Free Marches should the need arise._

_Good wishes,_

_Mr. B. Erikson_

 

“You have a sister?” Hawke asked as soon as she finished the hastily written letter.

“I suppose I do,” Fenris stated numbly.

“Fenris... who is Hadriana?”

He sighed slowly and considered running off to hide in his mess of a room instead.

“Fasta vass, I- Hadriana was a pet of my master, Danarius. She tortured me for the fun of it and forced me to starve. She would whip me and burn me with her cigarettes and deny me sleep just to hurt me. I was nothing but a toy to her violent whims.” The words just tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop and even think. He felt Hawke's fingers brush along his and he trembled at the small touch, unsure of how she could even look at him.

“Yet I can't feel... good about this. This hate just bottled up inside me has not suddenly gone. I am not safe, I am no regular man. I am a worthless sla-”

“Stop. Don't say such things,” she began softly, brushing his hand with her thumb for emphasis, “You are not worthless and you are _not_ a slave. I can promise I will do my utmost best to ensure that you are safe. I promise you will be safe.”

Her words, spoken with such true conviction, stunned him. He was left breathless and shocked, a reaction he was finding more and more common around Hawke.

“Thank you, Hawke.”

She smiled, her mauve lips curling to reveal a flash of teeth and gently squeezed his hand once more.

“Come on, I made some pasta and cookies for dessert,” Hawke tugged on his hand to guide him to the kitchen and he finally relaxed at the promise of food. No, he definitely was no longer a starving slave now that Hawke was shoveling food down his throat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh we all know what happens next. Let's hope I don't royally mess this up!


	10. He Shoots, He Scores

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fenris has an epiphany and the inevitable happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW SMUT

“FUS-RO-DAH!” Hawke shouted along with Fenris's Khajit Dragonborn character. He gave her an exasperated sideways glance at her enthusiasm and she just beamed at him.

“I don't get why this is so special,” Fenris said flatly. Hawke huffed and crashed back into the cushions on their sofa.

“Um, you're the motha-fuckin' Dovahkiin whose ultimate goal it to defeat Alduin and save Tamriel from the terror of the dovah?!”

“What's a dovah?”

“Dragon, Fenris. It means dragon. Have you not been paying attention your entire playthrough? You've got a good six hours on here by now.” Hawke had coached him this entire time and told him exactly where to go and he still seemed unimpressed. “Can you not at least appreciate the insane graphics on this game?”

“Yeah I suppose they're pretty good.”

“Uggghhhh.” Hawke reached for a nearby pillow and hugged it against her chest as she watched Fenris's character enter Riften. “Well if you don't want to join the Thieves Guild or even play Skyrim then what do you want to do?”

The truth was Fenris could hardly concentrate or get into the game while Hawke was practically pressed up into him on the small couch. She obviously loved this game and it seemed fun enough but this was definitely something he had to try by himself. Preferably when he wasn't hyper aware of Hawke's body beside his.

Somehow over Hawke's break from college he had found himself in her company almost every moment of the day and it wasn't nearly as awkward as he would have thought. They never spoke of their very public, very _hot_ kiss in the Hanged Man nearly two weeks ago and it was beginning to gnaw away at him. He wanted so much more.

Almost daily they were spending their free time together doing whatever had come to mind. Some days they would stay home and cook something and maybe play video games and others they would go out together. Like a date, but not really because that would make it real.

Hawke's pillow was forgotten on the floor and she was staring at him expectantly awaiting his response. A look of uncertainty flickered in her dark eyes and she began to look away.

“Am I boring you? I know we've been hanging out like every day-”

“No of course you're not boring me. I enjoy following you,” Fenris spoke quickly. _I enjoy following you? What does that even mean?_

“The new Star Wars is playing, if you wanna go check it out. Although the theater is probably packed because it just came out.”

“I'm cool just staying home.”

Fenris had failed to change out of his joggers and nothing would drag him away from this level of comfort, not even Star Wars. It almost seemed intimate, spending this time with Hawke in just sweatpants and being lazy. _Like a married couple, oh shit._

They really were a married couple, weren't they? Well, minus the sex. They cooked for each other, went out everywhere together, even did each others' laundry. He even saw her risque panties and bras. Never on her, unfortunately.

Isabela's words from months ago seemed to hit him like a brick. _“You may as well get it over with. You're more of a couple than even boring Aveline and Donnic but at least they're getting laid.”_

 

“Fenris, are you okay?” Hawke was waving a hand over his face cautiously. The elf had zoned right the fuck out.

She leaned over him, worriedly hovering her hands over his face. _Andraste's ass, I bored him to death. He hates Skyrim, oh Maker he must think I'm a freak._

“I'm sorry you don't like Skyrim! I really thought you'd enjoy being a warrior and joining the Companions or something. I don't know why I assumed you'd want to start with the Dark Brotherhood, that was silly of me-”

“Hawke.” During her rambling he had seemed to return back to Thedas from wherever the Fade had dragged him. He was watching her... strangely.

“Yeah, I can just leave you alone now if that's what you want.”

His large, forest green eyes widened and his jaw clenched as if he were struggling with something. She began to lean back to let him have his weird moment before his hands frantically clutched her wrists, pulling her off balance and knocking her into him.

“Fenris, what the-”

His hand wove its way into her thick hair, cradling her head urgently as his lips crashed into hers. Her mouth responded in kind, lips moving of their own accord as her hands fumbled for balance and made their way onto his chest. She could feel his heart pounding through his thin white t-shirt and she found herself aching to press her entire body against his.

_What in the Void is happening?_

His teeth nipped lightly at her bottom lip and to her humiliation, she whimpered uncontrollably. She felt him let out a low chuckle against her lips and she melted into him, opening her mouth to let his tongue press inside eagerly.

Her knees were weak and wobbling as she squirmed her way onto his lap, her legs straddling his body. She crossed her arms over his neck, unashamedly pulling her chest flush against his and grinding her lower half over his lap.

“ _Venhedis_ ,” he moaned when her mouth left his to suck at the tip of his ear. He dug his hands into her waist as she shamelessly moved her hips into him, teasingly grinding herself against his already throbbing erection.

Hawke yelped when he yanked her away by her hair so he could latch his mouth onto her neck. He began to suck at the exposed milky skin, daring to leave purple marks there as proof that they were even doing this. His mouth ached for more when he reached the collar of her shirt, hiding the rest of her chest from him.

Fenris hurriedly tore at the henley shirt and tossed it across the darkened room, illuminated by the TV screen. He reached for her bra next but she was already unlatching it and slipping it off her arms. He froze, eyes locked on her breasts as they were were finally freed and laid bare directly in front of his face. His hand reached out tentatively to run a finger over her already hardening pink nipple. Hawke failed once again to stifle a groan as he leaned forward to swipe his tongue across the peak.

She arched her back and moaned loudly when his tongue began to lap at her nipple and she looked down to see him looking up at her expectantly. Panic seized her and she abruptly pulled away, panting.

“No, Fenris wait. A-are you okay with this?” Hawke tried to control her body shaking with unquenchable need. Fenris paled, his hands falling to his side worriedly.

“Are you not okay? Tell me to leave and I will-”

“ _No_! I want you, I need you to touch me so bad. I just want to make sure that this is something you want. We don't have to rush into things if you're not ready,” she explained hurriedly, trying to reassure him by brushing aside a lock of stray white hair that hung over his brow. A brilliant smile crept onto his mouth that soon turned dark.

“Marian, I need you too.” His voice was husky and dark, and soon she was being flipped around so she was pinned underneath him as he shrugged out of his t-shirt and sweatpants. His hands found purchase in the waistline of her pajama pants and he quickly disposed of them, leaving her with nothing but a pair of cheeky panties on.

_FUCK. I HAVEN'T WAXED._

“Wait! Shit, I didn't. I mean, I forgot to- what I mean is that it's not groomed. It's been a while, I've just been so lazy. I'm sorry. Oh Maker, can I hide now, I've ruined everything.” Hawke stumbled over her words as she tried to hide her face, mortified at the thought of Fenris seeing an almost full bush. Dammit.

She was instead met with a low chuckle as he slipped his fingers into her panties and dragged them away, causing an undignified yelp to escape Hawke. She tried in vain to cover herself with her hands while Fenris began kissing up her legs. _How in Thedas did I know to even shave my legs?_

“Hawke, show me.” The tone of his voice indicated there was to be no argument and she hesitantly moved her hands away. His eyes widened and he let out a groan as he placed his hands on her knees, spreading her legs open for him. “Just as I thought. Beautiful.”

He began to kiss up her inner thigh and Hawke's fingers began to dig into the cushion beneath her. Her head spun and she watched in amazement as his finger brushed against her clit just to be replaced by his tongue.

“Fenris!” Hawke cried, her thighs aching and her hips bucking to meet his mouth. His tongue began to lap in earnest against her clit as he slowly dipped his fingers inside of her. She squirmed and bucked helplessly watching him make her come apart. “Maker, I'm so close already.”

“Then come for me,” she felt his rough voice, hot against her clit before he began to suck. Hawke cried out for him, her body shaking frantically when she found her release. Watching him go down on her had now topped the list of hottest things she had ever seen in her life.

She whimpered when he pulled away, crawling up her body.

“Maker, please let me see you. You're so fucking hot, Andraste's tits. I can't even.” She was rambling once more and Fenris felt utterly giddy after finally tasting her, letting out a laugh as he kissed her to quiet her nervous chatter.

Hawke eagerly shoved away at his briefs, pulling away to watch them fall around his ankles and she gasped. _Oh, of course the bastard is flippin' shaved. Did he expect this to happen or something? Fuck that's big._

Her hand reached out and her fingers slid around his length which caused a needy groan to escape the elf. He leaned back on his legs for her to follow, legs untangling themselves from underneath Fenris to properly gaze at his cock, dripping with pre-cum. Usually this wasn't something she particularly found appealing but he was undeniably throbbing.

“Whoa you're like really hard.” Hawke murmured in astonishment as she poked his erection.

Fenris let out a tiny whimper and gasped, “ _Venhedis_ , no shit.”

Her lips cautiously closed around the tip of his cock, lightly sucking while he fought to remain upright. _How the fuck does he even taste good here? Does he dip his cock in sugar or something? Makers balls._

Hawke eagerly began to take him fully and began to pump with her hand what she couldn't reach with her mouth. She tried, Maker knows she really was trying not to gag but he was awfully big and she did not have a lot of practice with this. Yet if his loud moaning was any indicator, he seemed to be enjoying himself as she swirled her tongue around the tip of his cock and she couldn't help but moan in satisfaction at the beautiful sound.

All too soon, Hawke was yanked back only to be shoved into the couch once more. Fenris towered over her, pulling her wobbly legs over his hips and positioning his cock at her entrance.

“Marian, please,” Fenris was pleading, his pupils dilated and eyes hooded.

“Fuck me, Fenris.”

Her confirmation barely left her tongue before he slipped inside of her. She cried out, a desperate combination of both beautiful pleasure and pain.

“Sorry, you're like really wet.”

“No shit,” she responded, breathless. Her body thrummed at the intense feeling of being so fucking full and she urgently began moving her hips in vain to try and get him to move.

Finally, Fenris began to rock his hips and she moaned, throwing her head back against a pillow in disbelief at how unbelievably _good_ he felt inside of her. The elf found a rhythm as he began to pound into her, slipping his thumb between them to rub at her clit once more.

Her nails were digging almost painfully into his back as she panted into his ear. She nipped and sucked at the skin on Fenris's neck all the while Fenris was moaning loudly.

Hawke's moans were becoming more needy and Fenris's thrusts more frantic and she could feel herself clenching against him.

“Fenris please!” She begged, holding him close to her and feeling his sweat drip onto her body. _Ugh, it's so gross. I love it._

His hips bucked raggedly and she found her release once again, screaming his name into his shoulder.

“Marian!” Fenris cried out as he came, spilling himself inside of her before he could pull out. _Fasta vass._

“Don't worry about that,” Marian assured him breathlessly with a dazzling, sleepy smile. He couldn't stop himself from falling into her and she gladly wrapped her arms around him and began to kiss his dampened hair.

She nuzzled into him, basking in his warmth and his fucking amazing smell. Her eyes began to droop and she didn't even care to move as she lay there. Hawke took no notice as she drifted off to sleep, unaware of Fenris scrambling away from her in a panic.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm not really happy with the way I wrote this. I'm not used to writing smut but I TRIED, I PROMISE I TRIED.


	11. Ow

The first thing she noticed was that it was way too fucking cold. The second was that she was alone on the couch. The third was that Fenris was swearing next to the TV and trying to step into his sweatpants.

“That bad, huh?” Hawke asked groggily, blinking up at him with her big doe eyes. She watched the elf swallow and look away nervously.

“It was fine.”

_Fine?! It was the glorious fusion of our minds and bodies into one perfect being in endless harmony!_

Hawke stared up at him confused as he fumbled with his t-shirt.

“No, that's not right. It was mind-blowing. I... just can't do this,” Fenris stuttered, his eyes blinking rapidly as if he were fighting back tears.

“Fenris, what's wrong?” As soon as she saw his expression, Hawke had figured out that he was leaving. It would be futile to attempt to stop the stubborn elf and yet her heart still caught in her throat. _No_.

“I had these flashbacks- memories from my life before I got these weird lyrium tattoos. It's just too much to handle right now, Hawke.” Maker, he was calling her by her last name once more. He was just practically crying her first name only an hour ago.

“Memories? Talk to me, Fenris. We can talk through this, just don't go.” Her voice cracked as she spoke and she looked away in humiliation to look for something to cover herself. She could feel the onslaught of hot tears brimming in her eyes as she fought to remain in control. She tugged a nearby afghan around herself and made to stand before Fenris held up his hands in defeat.

“No, just.... I need to go, right now. I thought I could be happy but I was wrong.”

He was already heading out of the living room, _where they just had amazing sex_ , before she could reach out to clasp his hand and stop this insanity.

“Fenris wait, please!” Hawke stood and tripped on the afghan tangled around her feet but Fenris didn't look back. She could hear the sound of the front door closing as she tried to scramble off of the floor.

_Stupid, Andraste's bastard, son of a mabari, Maker's muffin top_ , _elf! Ow._

The dam had broken and the tears were now falling in earnest as Hawke blubbered into the blanket. It was incredible, he was perfect, Maker she loved him. He obviously did not love her.

 

“Hawke, you're awfully quiet today,” Varric noted thoughtfully, glancing down at his deck of cards. Hawke was bundled up in a baggy hoodie and curled in on herself at the end of the table in Varric's suite. Isabela, Anders, Merrill, and Aveline were sitting beside her eyeing her curiously.

“Hm.”

“I noticed Fenris isn't here like he usually is.” Anders chimed in, his warm amber eyes seeking her's. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her distress.

“Spill it, sweet thing,” Isabela demanded while leaning excitedly over the table.

Hawke tried to remain silent but then images of the night before flashed before her and she saw his green eyes pouring into hers once more. She remembered his laugh, his face when he looked at her naked, his expression as he came with her while screaming her name. His... his leaving. _Fuck_.

“I-it's just...” she trailed off and the tears came unwelcome once more. She began to blubber and whimper into her hood all the while everyone bolted out of their seats, their game of Wicked Grace forgotten, to hurry to her side.

“WHAT DID HE DO?” Aveline snarled, reaching for her police chief's hat on the table.

“Kitten, tell us what the nasty elf did.”

“Oh... Hawke. It hurts so very much to see you cry.”

“I knew the elf would do nothing but break her heart.”

“Nug-humping bastard. Say the word and Bianca will take care of him.” Varric was motioning to his loaded shotgun mounted over his fireplace.

“He... he left me. W-we, you know, and it was just... ugghh. And it was perfect and then he just left! He said he couldn't do this w-with me,” Hawke cried into Isabela's shoulder as the rogue wrapped her arm around her closely. Isabela gently pulled back Hawke's hood to brush fallen strands of hair out of her tear-streaked face.

“He left you? After you _did it_?” Aveline asked, her emerald eyes wide and incredulous. Hawke nodded in confirmation and the violent snarl returned to her lip.

“I can arrest him and throw his ass in jail. I should! You did him a favor!”

“No!” Hawke rushed forward to grab Aveline's wrist, looking into her eyes pleadingly. “It won't make anything better to have him sent back to Tevinter.”

“I agree with Aveline, have Fenris shipped back to the hole he crawled out of.”

“No, I don't want him to go back! I promised him I would not let him come to harm!” Hawke insisted, pathetically wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Her blighted mascara was now running down her face. _Water-proof, Andraste's ass._

“Come on Aveline, Hawke is good on keeping her promises. Maybe the elf is just confused, Hawke. Give him some time,” Varric said soothingly with a pat on her back.

“I'm still not happy with him,” Isabela huffed, still protectively cradling Hawke against her.

“By the Creators, I just want to send him a strongly worded letter!” Merrill piped, uncharacteristically angry as she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

“Oh, Kitten.”

 

Thankfully Fenris wasn't home when Hawke hauled her belongings out of his apartment with the help of Bethany and Varric. By the time she made it to her mother's estate, there was a strange dwarf waiting for her in the parlor standing beside her mother. Leandra watched her daughter with a sympathetic expression and gave her a pitiful smile.

“Oh, Mrs. Hawke I presume? My name is Mr. Erikson and I represent your husband, Fenris. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I have to deliver this to you,” the stout dwarf explained as he handed her a stack of neat papers.

She briefly scanned the documents while Varric and Bethany looked on. Her heart thudded to a stop in her chest and she lost her breath. Her hand flailed out to clutch at her chest as if to stop the festering throb of utter _hurt_ coursing through her veins. Divorce papers. She was being served with divorce papers.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short update but- GASP. Tune in on next week's show to find out what our protagonist will do!


	12. Leave Me to My Misery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter but UGH, ANGST.

The apartment was awfully empty without her belongings in it. He was used to her guitar on the sofa or her notes scattered on her counter. There would usually be food cooking or the sound of Skyrim playing in the background and now there was nothing. He was left to contemplate his miserable thoughts alone and so he would drink.

Fenris yanked off the wine cork with his teeth and didn't bother to find a glass as he began to take a large chug. Hawke was no longer here to scold him for smoking and so he lit a cigarette after many months of dropping the habit. She would pout with her big doe eyes until his heart melted and he relented, flushing his cigarettes down the toilet. He would never admit that to her and now she was gone and he could once again fund his addiction.

Today she would be receiving the divorce papers and it would be over with soon enough. He was mentally preparing himself for Border Patrol to stop by for a friendly chat and then haul him back into Tevinter.

So when there was a loud, rough knock on the door he startled, ready to turn himself in to the authorities and say goodbye to Kirkwall forever.

Every step to the door had his heart pounding and his hands twitching against his sides, anticipating being cuffed and escorted out of the building. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath before answering.

Hawke stood before him fuming, her hair somewhat disheveled and her body cloaked in a wet raincoat. In her shaky hands were the divorce papers and when he looked into her red and puffy eyes brimming with tears, he wanted to fall to his knees and beg for her to understand. He said nothing and held the door open for her and she shuffled past him quickly before the door closed with a click.

“Fenris...” she began, her voice hoarse and quiet.

“Hawke,” he answered, his voice equally pathetic.

“I made you a promise.” Hawke lowered the papers against her side and sighed before shivering and looking back up at him. “We can forget about what happened between us if that is what you wish but I will not have you arrested and sent back to Tevinter.”

He was stunned, unaware of how to use his mouth anymore and so she continued.

“Whatever this is, I can deal with it for you. Do you want to go back to Tevinter?” she asked incredulously, rattling the papers in her hand for emphasis.

“Of course I don't!” he shouted, running his hand through his limp, unwashed hair.

“Then why would you do this?!” Hawke shouted back. Fenris had seen her anger before but never once had her fury been directed towards him until now.

“This is stupid, Hawke-”

“No! I'm fucking tired of this bullshit. If you don't want to go back to Tevinter, then why would you have me served with divorce papers? Did it ever occur to you that you could at least _try_ to talk to me?” Hawke began pacing madly around the bare living room, her wet feet leaving a trail on the floor.

“I-I'm not... good at talking!”

“Well you gotta work on that shit! I thought I made it clear that you could always talk to me no matter what!” She stopped pacing abruptly, her fury dissipating into such unadulterated sadness that his own anger seized.

“Is it me?” she asked quietly, the tears finally slipping down her cheeks.

_No_. His feet were moving of their own accord and he raised his hand to wipe away her tears before he stopped himself and awkwardly took a step back. The urge to just reach out and touch her was overwhelming but he could no longer indulge himself.

“Hawke, don't.”

Her eyes found his and she let out a pitiful chuckle and shook her head sadly, looking back to the ground.

“That's answer enough.”

_NO_. She placed the divorce papers on the counter before her and reached for the pen laying nearby. He choked on the words to stop this insanity as he watched her sign her name on the papers. His hands clenched in a fist as he looked on in agony, trying to retain his ever-stoic demeanor. This was his fault anyway.

“It is done so you can do what you want. I don't want you to go if that means anything to you, which I'm sure it doesn't. Just let me know,” her voice was low and tired from yelling and she glanced at him one last time before leaving the apartment quietly shutting the door behind her.

Every bone in his body ached to run after her and pull her into his arms to assure her that he was her's and her's only but he couldn't move. The world spun around him as he noticed the now extinguished cigarette by his feet and he scowled. The malevolent presence of the signed divorce papers on his counter made him feel sick and so he made his escape to the music studio where the dusty grand piano that Hawke made beautiful music with sat. _Fasta vass_.

 

 

Isabela: shit's fucked, tethras 6:45 PM

 

Varric: Broody won't talk to me 6:46 PM

 

Isabela: hawkes wearing the cat onesie so you know its bad 6:46 PM

 

Varric: Well shit 6:47 PM

 

Isabela: she loves him, im gonna beat the shit out of that sexy elf >_< 6:48 PM

 

Merrill: Varric can you please bring Antivan takeout? Hawke usually likes street tacos or mole enchiladas to cheer her up! :) Love Merrill 6:50 PM

 

Varric: Is everyone at Hawke's house? Do I seriously have to feed everybody again? 6:51 PM

 

Isabela: yup 6:52 PM

 

Aveline: Yes please. 6:52 PM

 

Anders: plz 6:52 PM

 

Merrill: Oh thank you Varric! See you soon! Love Merrill 6:52 PM

 

Isabela: and chocolate please 6:53 PM

 

Varric: Varric Tethras to the rescue 6:55 PM

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love the idea of Hawke's merry band of misfits in a group text. Mexican food makes a reappearance because it's 4 in the freaking morning and I'm dying for some tacos.


	13. Ice Cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, first of all I'm so glad for all the love I've been getting for my silly story so thank you very much! Second, I unfortunately will be going on a short break until at least the 17th because I will be going to the UK to visit my boyfriend and simply won't have time to write. Also my spring semester starts on the 19th but I promise I'll try and write regularly from then on.

_Hey, I should get a job_. As it turns out, now that Hawke was no longer living with him there was a severe lack of money. She would still slip envelopes under the door with checks written but he wouldn't dare deposit them after the way he treated her.

She was wealthy and a successful student in only her freshman year and he was nearing twenty-four and had nothing to show for it. Yes, a steady and legal job would do him good.

Yet one would have to leave their home to find one and that wasn't something Fenris was willing to do just yet. There were signed divorce papers on his counter that made him feel like puking and throwing a tantrum. Which was exactly what he did of course.

All the wine he had powered down after his encounter with Hawke was now making his way up his throat and he had no time to prepare. He lunged towards the counter and promptly threw up the contents of his stomach onto the divorce papers. As his hands gripped against the counter for balance, he carefully lifted the ruined papers and examined them. Good. Ignoring the putrid stench, he grasped them angrily and tore it to shreds.

“Fasta vass,” he swore under his breath before tossing away the ruined papers and cleaning himself up. Now was as good a time as any to find Hawke.

 

“Hawke, how much ice cream have you eaten?” Anders inquired as he sat beside her, trying to watch Star Trek: The Original Series but ultimately failing. He was much too focused on the girl beside him wearing the cat onesie with the hood with ears on it as she ate an entire gallon of mocha fudge ice cream.

“You know, I don't know. I don't even really like ice cream.” Her voice was still oddly quiet but she nonetheless continued to eat it. At least today she had bathed but Maker be damned if she wore real clothing. He was the one left babysitting her while everyone else was busy. Merrill and Isabela would be taking over tonight after they closed up shop but he truly didn't mind spending time with Marian.

She was usually the one who made her friends feel better and to see her act so... depressed was frightening indeed. His heart still swelled with undeniable affection for her but it was obvious she only had eyes for the blighted elf. He would still try, of course.

He gingerly reached for the ice cream and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. Hawke whined and looked up at him pitifully with her doe eyes. Her lip was trembling and her eyes began to brim with tears. Shit.

“Sh, it's okay. I'm sorry, you can have it back soon I promise!” Anders wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side while she sniffled. “As a doctor, I have to at least urge you to take a break from the ice cream.”

“But it's the only thing keeping me together right now,” she squeaked swiping her sleeve over her cheeks spilling with tears. At least she was letting him hold her, so that was something.

“Oh Hawke,” Anders cooed, gently rubbing her back. She curled against him and sighed deeply, looking back up to the TV to watch Captain Kirk make out with yet another alien lady.

“Kirk is a playa,” she mumbled against his shoulder and Anders chuckled. Watching Captain Kirk score with aliens somehow urged him on as he reached over with his other hand to lower her hood. Her hair fell around her shoulders and as she looked up at him with questioning eyes, he brushed a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her small rounded ear. As he took her jaw in hand and began to lean down, her large eyes widened even more and she screeched.

“ANDERS DOWN.” She scrambled away from his side and jumped up, crossing her arms angrily to glare at him.

“What?!” he demanded, standing to match her in height.

“What in the Void is wrong with you? Why can't you just be my friend?” she cried, her voice cracking when she said 'friend'. Anders sighed and brushed his shoulder-length, blond hair back.

“Marian, I'm in love with you. Andraste's tits, I cannot let you go. Why don't you want me? I could make you so much happier.” Her dark eyes looked fierce as she pierced them at him.

“I have never given you any reason to believe that my feelings for you were anything but platonic.”

“But why do you love him? He doesn't love you! He's a selfish, angry bastard who has done nothing but hurt you!” Anders stepped closer, looking down at her with conviction.

“He's so much more than that-”

“And you defend him even after he fucks you and then rejects you!”

A small gasp left her and she bit her bottom lip sharply, looking quickly away from him so he wouldn't see her burst into tears.

“THAT'S ENOUGH ABOMINATION!” The fuming elf stormed into Hawke's room, his lyrium tattoos flashing a vibrant blue as he charged forward.

“Fenris!” Hawke shouted but he failed to listen as he slammed his hand forward to grip the mage by the throat. Easily, he had the mage lifted into the air and attempting to gasp for air.

Fenris became acutely aware of Hawke's screaming and soon he felt her trying to shove him back. Anders dangled in vain trying to kick at the elf as his face began to turn purple. There was the sound of a door slamming open and yelling and then Fenris was knocked to the side, his grip on the mage's neck released as he lay in a heap on the floor with Aveline pinning his body down with her weight.

“Hawke I'm arresting Fenris,” Aveline announced authoritatively, reaching for her handcuffs on her belt.

“No! Ugh, FUCK.” Hawke shouted behind Isabela who was standing firmly in front of her as if to protect her. Anders was gasping for breath at Marian's feet while Merrill hovered over him worriedly.

“Creators! That was close.”

“H-he's a - _wheeze_ \- dog, Hawke!” Anders choked out.

Hawke looked upon the scene in a panic, her throat constricting as she struggled to try and stop this madness. Her body wobbled dangerously as her legs threatened to give out while everyone shouted around her.

_Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise..._

The last thing she remembered was William Shatner's voice and the sound of the theme music starting before everything turned black.

 

“Go away; you're just gonna try and put the moves on her, Blondie.”

“I'm a certified doctor, I'm just making sure she's alright.”

“Well you're a shit doctor if you keep trying to harass your patient.”

“I do not see how the abomination will be of any use to her-”

“Oh shut up Fenris, you're lucky I'm not arresting you for battery after this mess.”

Hawke opened her eyes to find she was laying in a strange room under white sheets. She looked down to find in horror to be stripped of her cat onesie and in a hospital gown. There was a dull throb on her forehead and she reached up to clutch at her head, wincing. 

“Look, she's awake!” Merrill cried, hurrying forward to take her hand.

“Marian, look at me.” Anders directed from her other side as he flickered a small flashlight in front of her face and moved his fingers around.

“Please don't try and kiss me again,” Hawke groaned weakly. Anders frowned while Varric and Isabela huffed in agreement.

“Well, you can't blame me for trying.”

“Yes I can.” The mage frowned and moved back to speak with the others as if Hawke wasn't lying there right beside everyone else.

“She's going to be okay. I think she's had too much excitement and needs to eat something that isn't ice cream later. She'll be able to go home soon, she just needs to be monitored after getting a concussion like that." 

"Concussion?" Hawke croaked, poking at the gauze wrapped around her head. 

"Kitten, you got knocked right the fuck out," Isabela supplied. 

"How?" 

"You fainted and hit your head on the coffee table. It was quite dramatic, you almost gave Varric and Aveline a heart attack. Anders and Fenris both were fighting over holding you, it was great." Isabela propped herself up beside Merrill and leaned closer to Hawke to whisper. "You lucky girl, having two men fight over you." 

Both Fenris and Anders groaned and scowled simultaneously but before they could speak, the door was shoved open to reveal a very franctic Leandra Amell rushing in. Hawke looked worriedly to Isabela, pleading for help but the rogue simply smirked. 

"OUT. Especially you two!" Leandra yelled, angrily pointing her finger towards Fenris and Anders. The mage held his hands up in surrender, backing away and exiting the room promptly. Fenris hovered awkwardly by the bed in hesitation but Leandra shot him a stony glare and he quickly followed suit. 

"We'll be back later, Rosy." Varric announced with the smile of what could be considered a concerned parent.

"Rosy?" Hawke asked, stunned at the honor of receiving a nickname. 

"You should have seen your face after you passed out and were bleeding everywhere. It was so red! Just like a rose, Rosy." 

"Uggghhhh." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll be back soon, you beautiful people. <3


	14. Captured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a short update, but I have a class in a few hours and I'm seriously jet lagged but figured I wouldn't leave you lovely people hanging because you guys are awesome. I'll be honest, I have been pretty stressed out recently and had a pretty sad birthday on the 16th but now that I'm back home I should find more inspiration to write. You guys have certainly helped encourage me and I greatly appreciate it. <3

“So look, Broodster. We've all noticed you've been particularly broody this past week.” Varric was sitting on the very couch where he and Hawke had recently fallen into a romantic entanglement. He said nothing, of course, or he would never hear the end of it from the dwarf.

“I don't see how this concerns you, Varric.”

“Hawke is one of my best friends; her feelings most certainly concern me, elf.”

Before he could try to respond with his signature scowl, there was a loud and urgent pounding on his door which he assumed would not be Hawke this time. His markings began to hum beneath his skin in anticipation as he stood and braced himself.

“Fenris?”

To his surprise Officer Donnic, Aveline's husband, stood in full uniform in his doorway with a somewhat hesitant expression on his face.

“Donnic,” Fenris answered suspiciously.

“I'm sorry I have to do this, but there is a warrant out for your arrest. I managed to convince my superiors to let me take you in.”

“Why am I being arrested?”

“It is believed that you and Hawke have separated and are living in different locations.”

“It was just a lover's quarrel! There have been no break ups, they are as real a couple as any!” Varric shouted from behind him, his rapid steps thudding across the apartment. Donnic sighed regretfully and reached for the handcuffs strapped to his belt.

“I truly apologize for this.”

“Donnic, come on! I'll contact my lawyer and have him sort this out!” Varric insisted, now standing beside Fenris.

“It has been suspected that the marriage itself was never legitimate and I am simply following orders. I thought it would be kinder to come myself.”

“Varric, let it go. I submit,” Fenris spoke, his shoulders hunching forward in defeat.

Donnic muttered some more apologies as he cuffed Fenris and began to lead him out of the apartment complex. Varric was heard swearing from behind as he quickly dialed his lawyer and Hawke.

 

There was a nasty gash on the very top of her forehead but at least she had bathed and dressed in something that wasn't a cat onesie. The moment she had received the call from Varric, she had not hesitated to dress and head out to the police station to try and have Fenris released. If they would even release him. For all she knew, she was walking right in to her own imprisonment.

“Aveline,” Hawke said breathless as she rushed into the station and up to her desk.

“Hawke, I'm sorry. He's already been taken and is on his way back to Tevinter,” the police chief cut right to the chase, her authoritative voice softening in sympathy for her friend. Time slowed and Hawke forgot to breathe. Her friend, the elf she had fallen hopelessly in love with was now being shipped back to Tevinter. He was very much in danger.

“WHAT?”

“Hawke-”

“You shipped my husband back to Tevinter! Why?!”

“Now Hawke, you know it was not under my orders to do that.”

“Then who ordered the warrant for his arrest?!” she demanded, pacing madly in front of Aveline's desk. The chief sighed and strode over to a file cabinet on the other side of the room.

“Normally this is classified information, but I'll look now.”

She anxiously watched the stern red-head glance over some paperwork, her green eyes darting across the lines until they widened in what Hawke assumed was disbelief.

“Um...” The police chief stammered, her voice raised in alarm.

“Aveline?”

“The order was given by a Magister Danarius. How did this even happen?” Aveline ran to the door and swung it open.

“We have an emergency! There's been a false report and an innocent has been captured and is being taken to Tevinter.” Aveline's voice boomed across the station and soon several officers were bolting upright and scrambling around the office.

Donnic ran forward then, his skin pale and eyes wide. “Aveline? Is this Fenris you're on about?”

“His old master somehow gave the order for his arrest, I don't even understand how this could possibly happen.”

“Aveline!” Hawke screeched, tugging urgently on her arm. “WHAT DO WE DO?!”

“We go after him. I'm calling on a manhunt, the magister is illegally trespassing in the Free Marches and will no doubt have captured Fenris himself.”

“Andraste's ass, just tell me what to do!” Hawke's large eyes were brimming with tears and her arms were shaking in a panic.

“We will find him, Hawke.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AWWW SHIIIIIIT. Danarius makes his appearance! Whatever will our dear protagonist do? How is Fenris holding up? Find out on next week's episode of "Taken: Hawke Becomes Liam Neeson".


	15. Be Still My Beating Heart

Varric: Fenris has been taken by Danarius 3:46 PM

 

Merrill: Creators! Shall we help look for him? 3:46 PM

 

Isabela: i wont let that bastard take such a sexy specimen 3:47 PM

 

Anders: where is hawke? is she okay?? 3:48 PM

 

Varric: She's with Aveline looking for him in a police helicopter. 3:49 PM

 

Merrill: Goodness, there are so many sirens going off. 3:50 PM

 

Isabela: its a manhunt, kitten. 3:50 PM

 

 

Helicopters are weird things. Hawke was strapped in to her seat tightly but still felt nauseated nonetheless what with there being no doors and being high above the atmosphere.

_Shit is this what space feels like? No, it's not. We aren't even close. I really need to study Geology again. Wait does that include the levels of the atmosphere? Maybe I should take an Astronomy class. Yeah, I should do that._

“Hawke are you okay?” Aveline asked carefully laying a hand on Hawke's arm.

“TROPOSPHERE!” Hawke cried making Aveline jump in her seat.

“Maker, Hawke what are you talking about?”

“Fenris...” Hawke said pitifully with a sniffle.

“Where are we, Donnic?” Aveline turned her attention to her husband who just so happened to be piloting the helicopter.

“Nearing the border now. It's dangerous to fly into Tevinter airspace, love.”

“Andraste's ass. The authorities have been notified in Tevinter but Maker knows they won't do anything about it.”

“You know Aveline, give yourself a nice pat on the back for such reassuring words. I myself am feeling much more relaxed about the situation,” Hawke tried to lighten the mood with her biting sarcasm but her trembling voice failed her. Aveline laid a gentle hand on Hawke's shoulder and nodded understandingly.

 

 

When Fenris was lead out of the police station in handcuffs to a black sedan, he was expecting many things but finding his old master waiting in the backseat was not one of them.

The graying magister had grinned malevolently at the elf as soon as the car door opened and he was unceremoniously shoved inside, practically into the magister's lap.

“Ah, my little Fenris.”

_Fasta vass_.

“Danarius,” Fenris hissed, trying to lunge for the door despite his cuffed hands. It was promptly slammed in his face and he was forced back into the seat by another slaver.

“You've been most disobedient. Whatever will I do with you?”

His heart began to pace wildly as he looked upon the magister who was staring down at him expectantly. An unforgiving sense of dread filled him as he anticipated the punishments he would receive at any given time. There was no chance of overpowering him when his hands were tied with no weapon. With Danarius on his right side and a slaver on his left, he was stuck in the speeding vehicle with no means of escape.

“Well? I do expect an answer my little wolf; how shall I punish you?”

Swallowing the ever-growing lump in his throat, the elf looked into the magister's piercing blue eyes and feigned bravery.

“I am not your-”

“Oh this will not do.”

There was a snarl and a deafening thud before everything went black.

 

Sirens had never sounded so beautiful as when the magister's car was spotted. The chase was on now that police vehicles were speeding down the highway leading into Tevinter in pursuit of a black sedan with a foreign license plate.

The helicopter Hawke was in now circled the car and Aveline began to yell into the loudspeaker.

“Pull over or we will shoot.” The redhead was straight to the point and loud over the sound of sirens following close behind. The car kept driving, as expected.

On cue, more police sirens rang from the front of the speeding vehicle and they had the car effectively surrounded. The sedan clumsily spun around as the tires were slashed on road spikes and eventually it came to an abrupt halt after spinning around a few more times.

Police officers filed out of their respective vehicles like clowns scurrying out of a tiny car, except with large, scary guns and a disturbing lack of clown makeup.

Hawke watched in awe as Donnic expertly landed the helicopter and soon she was flinging herself out of her seat. She dashed into the throng of officers as one of the car doors was violently thrown open.

“Stay back!” Aveline ordered quietly and tried to grab for Hawke's shoulder but the fiery, desperate young woman was having none of it.

“Let's just talk this out peacefully, there seems to have been a misunderstanding!” A man's deep voice bellowed out over the quiet.

An old, gray-haired man wearing a dress stepped outside with his hands up and Hawke barely caught a glimpse of a familiar shock of white hair behind him in the car. She tried to jump over the taller police officers (who bared her presence with surprisingly no qualms) to get a better look.

“Step away from the vehicle!” Aveline shouted authoritatively, stepping forward with her pistol pointed at the magister's face. Danarius held his hands up higher and took a tentative step forward. His neutral expression fell as the man snarled and revealed a knife held in his sleeve. He sliced into his wrist and began chanting as the police began to shoot at the car.

The ground trembled beneath their feet and the air grew heavy with blood magic. Danarius cast an eerie red glow as he began to throw spells at the police officers. Demons came tumbling forth from below and soon it was chaos.

Hawke darted through the frantic crowd and ran to the car where she knew Fenris had to have been. She had no magic and no weapon but somehow evaded the demons who were mostly focused on attacking the police officers and raining bullets. The magister was nowhere to be seen when she reached the sedan and finally looked inside.

The elf was unconscious with a gnarly gash on the back of his head to rival her's. His blue jeans and white shirt were stained with blood and torn and his lip was cut open. Worst of all, his hands were restrained behind his back in handcuffs and the sight of him in such a state had her crying in seconds. This was her doing, all out it. If she had stayed, she could have protected him. They never needed to be romantically involved but she let her stupid feelings get in the way and now he had been taken right back to the person she vowed to protect him from.

“Fenris!” she cried, falling to her knees and reaching towards him. She grabbed his arms and began pulling his unresponsive body off of the seat as the sound of gunfire and demons laughing surrounded them.

“Wake up, please wake up,” she blubbered over and over as she finally got his surprisingly heavy body out of the car. He landed into her lap but she didn't care as she held him and tucked his head into her chest. Her knees were bloodied with dirt and gravel and she cursed her choice of a skirt. It was a pretty cute skirt though, with blue flowers and everything.

“So you must be his new mistress.”

Hawke darted her head up, annoyed to have been interrupted about her thoughts on her cute skirt to face the magister who stood threateningly over her and Fenris. In hindsight, she probably shouldn't have fallen into a mess on the ground next to the car.

“He belongs to no one,” she spat, her words fierce and unwavering despite her rapidly beating heart.

“No, silly girl. He belongs to _me_.”

She felt the elf stir in her arms but she did not loosen her grip. She would not let him be taken back to this man. She would die before she ever let that happen. _If this is how I die, then so be it._

Before she could react however, Fenris was awake and shoving himself off of the ground which ultimately slammed her into the car door.

_Nice to see you too. Such romance._

“I AM NOT YOUR SLAVE.”

Goddamn, this guy was pissed. The lyrium tattoos flared, bathing her in a vibrant blue as he surged forward into the magister's face. The air sparked with Danarius's magic but before he could react, Fenris shoved his hand into his chest and pulled his still-beating heart out with it.

The fighting stilled and the demons were pulled from existence with the magister as he fell to the ground. He unfortunately landed in front of Hawke with a bewildered expression on his face. _Ew_.

Fenris finally turned his attention to Hawke who watched him with an odd combination of awe and relief. He seemed to remember the heart in his bloodied hand and dropped it beside Danarius as police officers scrambled forward.

His green eyes found her's after she stood and brushed the dirt from her clothes to approach him.

“Fenris...”

“Hawke.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, guys. I was going through a bit of writer's block and started writing a completely different idea for a story. I was thinking of a fic involving Inquisition and DA2 that instead takes place in Revolutionary War era America (with Fenris x Hawke, of course). Anyway, there will only be one or two chapters left to finish the story but I'll most likely write some more one-shots and alternate universe one-shots soon enough.


	16. My Heart in Your Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff galore.

Maker only knows how Fenris managed to walk away from tearing a man's heart out of his chest with just a slap on the wrist. It probably had everything to do with Aveline and the fact that the victim was in the middle of attacking police officers with demons.

Now, he was left awkwardly washing off his hands in the police station back in Kirkwall while Hawke stood next to him expectantly waiting for him to speak to her. They've been like this for at least fifteen minutes.

“Your hands must feel really weird after this. You've used the entire bottle of soap,” she noted casually, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning against the wall. He noticed her floral skirt was now stained with what he assumed was his blood and her knees were covered in dirt and rubbed raw with gravel. Hawke's eyes were wide and bloodshot and yet she approached him somewhat nonchalantly after the entire ordeal.

After being knocked out by Danarius, the first thing he woke up to was Hawke pleading with him to open his eyes while she held him. So naturally, he did the most un-romantic thing possible and shoved her into a car door as soon as he saw the old magister looming overhead. He probably should apologize for that.

“Hey, I'm sorry about your head. I didn't mean to smash it into the door.” _Smooth, Fenris._

Hawke let a surprised laugh escape and just shrugged at him. “Don't even trip, dog.”

The combination of her easy-going demeanor and utterly ridiculous response startled him into a loud guffaw which in turn caused Hawke to jump, panicked and rushing over to him.

“Okay, obviously your head has sustained an injury. Fenris _does not_ laugh like that. Let me see, we should probably go to the hospital...” she rambled as she hurried over to him next to the sink. She finally turned the water off for him all the while muttering under her breath about wasting water.

Her fingers carefully reached toward his blood-matted hair to brush it away from his forehead. Fenris forgot how to breathe while she leaned closer to him, the scent of her rosy-sweet perfume enveloping him. Such a small thing brought back memories of her things scattered around his apartment, with the little vial of perfume oil usually in some odd place like the kitchen counter or piano bench. Oh, he had missed her.

He felt her fingers run through his appallingly dirty, white locks and he found he couldn't contain the hum of contentment. Her deep, brown eyes widened at the sound and her cheeks flamed an impossibly endearing pink.

“M-maybe we should take you to the hospital,” she suggested, her voice small and barely audible.

He was already leaning in, entranced by her full pink lips which parted every-so-slightly as she waited. She took one long breath and held it in anticipation, her body beginning to tremble with what he assumed was nervousness.

Fenris slowly reached toward her face to stroke her reddened cheek and her long-held breath had finally escaped. Her black lashes fluttered as she closed her eyes and froze in place before him. His other arm had finally reached forward to gently lay at her waist, and she gasped at the unexpected touch.

“Marian,” he breathed and with that her eyes had opened abruptly.

Hawke was stunned and failed to find her voice at first. He watched, her sorrow and confusion flashing in her eyes until a single tear had managed to streak down her cheek. Without a second thought, his thumb brushed it away and he stroked her cheek once more.

“My name... You said my name,” her voice cracked.

“ _Marian_.”

More tears brimmed in her eyes and yet she laughed, a lighthearted and airy sound that sent his heart soaring.

“It sounds so beautiful coming from you.”

“Ah but you are beautiful,” he stated as if it were something so simple because it was. She was everything he thought he could never deserve. A loving, kind young woman who did not need to go out of her way to protect a lowly slave such as himself and yet she did.

“Sweet talker,” she chuckled and he smiled, her mirth infectious. “Seriously though, let's go to the hospital.”

He rolled his eyes dramatically and pulled her into him. She squeaked, stunned, as she fell into him and held her hands to his chest for balance. He held her tighter, his hand carefully taking her chin so she could look into his eyes.

“I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment.”

“But you could be injured,” she tried to argue but he could see in her eyes that she wouldn't dare move away from him.

“I fear I do suffer from a particular ailment. One that has no known cure, unfortunately,” he deadpanned.

“What is it?”

“I'm in love.”

Hawke snorted loudly and fell into a fit of giggles, letting her head fall into his chest as she clutched at him.

“And so the teacher becomes the student. Maker, that was so cheesy. I love it,” she said between giggles. He felt her warm breath from her laughter on his chest and he tried to ignore the way it made his body shiver.

“I do however mean it,” he began, tilting her head back up firmly. He needed her to know, to finally understand that she was his world. He was a fool to let her go, an idiot to break her heart and if this girl standing before him could accept him for who he was and still have room in her heart for him he would do his blighted best to try.

“I love you, Marian. I've loved you for a long time.”

The moment the meaning of those words had dawned on her, a tiny smile lit up her expression. More unexpected tears fell down her cheeks and yet she smiled her wonderful smile just for him.

“I love you too, Fenris.”

It looked as if she had more to say but was lost for the words to truly vocalize her thoughts. So, he took the opportunity to finally close that last inch of distance between their bodies.

Her lips had already parted for him by the time their mouths met and he let himself get lost. His world was right once more. She was his and he was her's and that was okay.

She tasted as sweet as she smelled. Her body felt as soft and willing against him as he remembered and her touch was nothing if not loving and gentle and yet so very eager. Her arms snaked around his neck and her lips wandered down to his neck. He threw his head back and groaned as she nipped and sucked at the skin on his neck and the hand that once gripped her waist had trailed downward to grab her thigh.

A very loud voice cleared from behind them and Hawke visibly jumped in a panic and parted guiltily to look at the intruder.

“Sorry to interrupt. We met a few months ago, my name is Ms. Ulrich and I'm a border patrol agent. I need to ask some questions of you both,” the familiar, stern woman said rather embarrassed. She looked away from the young couple, making it a point to stare at her clipboard in hand.

“Go ahead,” Hawke spoke up, her tone impatient.

“Ah, forget it... Is the marriage legitimate?” Ms. Ulrich asked exasperatedly.

Fenris and Hawke both looked back to each other for confirmation. Her eyes sparked and he knew exactly what to say.

“Yes. Fuck yes.”

He grabbed Hawke's arms and pulled her back into him, pinning her in place as his lips crashed into her's once more. She eagerly reciprocated, the two momentarily forgetting about their intruder.

“Ah... Yes that is apparent. Your greencard will be sent by mail in four to six weeks. Welcome to the Free Marches,” the border patrol agent spoke clearly enough for them to hear but they failed to part as she shuffled out of the room with a huff.

Hawke reluctantly pulled back, gasping for breath as she did so. Her eyes were sad and full of worry and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms but he instead waited for her to speak.

“Fenris, is this what you want? You want to stay married to me? For the rest of our lives?” There was a hint of doubt laced in her voice and he hated himself for ever questioning this in the first place. He did this to her.

“'Till death do us part. I intend to stay by your side for eternity... If you will have me,” he stated seriously, gazing into her eyes and watching as they softened. Her smile once again graced her lovely mouth and he smiled in turn.

“I do. You may now kiss the bride,” she laughed.

And so he did.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This just about wraps it up for now you guys. There may just be an epilogue but I believe these two finally have their well-deserved happy ending!


	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy (belated) Valentine's Day! <3

One would think after two years of marriage (real marriage), a couple would cool it with the lovey-dovey behavior but nope. Maker forbid, not Hawke and Fenris.  


“Andraste's ass, are you seeing this?” Varric nudged Isabela beside him, who just so happened to have Merrill in her lap.

“It almost makes me want to puke it's so cute,” the rogue agreed with a light smile as she wrapped her arm around Merrill's waist.

“Great, now you're going to get all cutesy with Daisy now too,” the dwarf moaned as he reached for his pint on the bar.

“Oh Varric, there is nothing wrong with being in love. I think Hawke and Fenris are so sweet together,” Merrill chirped brightly as she leaned back into Isabela.

The sound of Hawke playing classical music filled the (surprisingly full) bar was heard ringing throughout the building. The entire tavern was stunned into silence as they watched the expertly talented Hawke pluck at the strings of her classical guitar. The whole time she played, her eyes kept flashing back to the elf gazing at her the most intently from the side of the make-shift stage. She would always have a small smile tucked away just for him and yet she still played beautifully, if not better when Fenris was around.

“Love is most certainly in the air tonight,” Varric muttered mostly to himself as he gestured to where Bethany sat twirling her dark, wavy hair while Anders spoke to her.

“Okay, that still sits wrong with me,” Aveline noted, crossing her arms while Donnic took a seat next to her.

“You mean Anders being madly in love with Hawke and now suddenly being all over her younger sister?” Isabela asked in a sing-song voice.

“Hey as long as Sunshine is happy, I'm happy. If he hurts her though... well Bianca might have to say something about that.”

They were interrupted by the loud sound of enthusiastic applause and turned to watch Hawke stand and bow for the crowd. Immediately she turned to Fenris and from the corner of Varric's eye he saw the elf's hand holding up a single red rose towards the stage. The brunette beamed, her guitar forgotten as she set it down to reach for the rose. She gently held the rose to her nose and then reached for Fenris's hand to pull him up to the stage.

“They're about to get even more gross,” Isabela stated, although it was more lighthearted and amused than truly disgusted.

“..and so the young lovers part their way through the crowd, the maiden searching for the man who holds her heart.”

“Oh, I love it when you narrate their relationship!” Merrill jumped in excitedly.

Fenris stood before the crowd next to Hawke, his hand in her's and their eyes locked only on each other. The elf's devastatingly long, white hair was brushed back when Hawke reached forward to push it away from his face and he smiled.

“The knight finds his maiden and so they embrace as tenderly and true as is each moment they spend with each other. For their paths are forged as one, their destinies tied and their hearts entwined eternally. ”

Fenris swept her into his arms and dipped her in a dramatic display as the crowd cheered loudly for the couple. He finally kissed her and the crowd launched into another round of applause. Even from here, Varric could see how red Hawke had turned in embarrassment but the elf... The man simply emanated pride in his love and she let herself be drawn into another passionate kiss.

Nope. Those two weren't going to let up anytime soon.

   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the knight and his maiden lived happily ever after! Thank you all for the support and kudos, I never expected people to actually like my little fic! You guys are the best. <3 
> 
> For the curious, the classical song that Hawke played is [The Girl with the Flaxen Hair by Claude Debussy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu4KObwynSc) on classical guitar. I totally just learned how to play this and am thinking of recording some songs to accompany the chapters (maybe, probably not). 
> 
> For the even more curious, I totally based this fic off of my life. I am marrying a pretty cute English guy (we've been together for three years, so we're pretty legit!) this upcoming spring so we can live in the same country together. He will be moving to the US in just a month now! I hope that's not too personal haha. 
> 
> Thanks again, you lovely people!


End file.
